NHPC’s own paper detailed gas fires in Teesta-VI tunnels before fatal blast
NHPC engineers had documented methane-related fire risk in the Teesta Stage-VI tunnels before the fatal explosion at the Sikkim hydroelectric project.
- The 2024 NHPC engineering paper documented repeated methane encounters inside the Teesta Stage-VI headrace tunnels and described combustion risk.
- Gas was first detected in 2009 during excavation by the original developer, before NHPC resumed work later.
- The tunnel route passed through fractured Himalayan rock, including carbon-rich phyllite, which was linked to gas seepage.
- The construction zone faced collapses, cave-ins, and flooded access adits after work restarted following years of stoppage.
What happened
NHPC’s own technical paper, written in 2024, had already recorded repeated encounters with flammable gas inside the Teesta Stage-VI hydroelectric project’s headrace tunnels. The paper said gas was first detected in 2009 during excavation by the original developer and was encountered again after NHPC resumed work.
The engineering record becomes important because the recent explosion at the Sikkim site reportedly involved a sudden methane release and a landslide inside the tunnel. The incident killed workers and triggered rescue operations.
UPSC can frame the issue around the trade-off between hydropower expansion and geological safety in the Himalayas. A good answer can connect project planning, tunnel safety standards, geological surveys, and disaster preparedness in vulnerable mountain terrain.
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