The people of the downstream of river Ranganadi in Arunachal Pradesh, which flows through Assam’s Lakhimpur district, are worried as the water level of the river is increasing at an alarming rate.
According to media reports, the water level of the river has been rising 450-500 cubic metre per second.
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Every year in the monsoon season, the excess water released by the NEEPCO authority from its Ranganadi (Panyor) Hydro Electric Plant (RHEP) at Yazali, causes massive floods both in the downstream areas in Lower Subansiri district and Assam’s Lakhimpur district.
As per media reports, NEEPCO has been releasing water from the dam due to repair work in the project.
It has been reported that the water level of the river has risen alarmingly as the waters have been released from four gates of the dam.
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According to reports, the water level in the dam has also increased due to incessant rains for the last few days in Arunachal.
The increase in the water level of river Ranganadi, which remains dry in the winter season, has become a matter of major concern for the people of the downstream areas as the monsoon season is yet to start.
It may be mentioned that a circular was issued by the NEEPCO last year regarding its proposed shutdown of the Ranganadi plant and release of the dam’s excess water.
As per the circular, the dam was proposed to be shut down from February 1 to April 30, 2019.
As per the circular, the shutdown was to facilitate “repairing works at various locations of the project such as the power house, surge shaft gates, tunnel, intake, dam gates etc for which dewatering of the reservoir and the tunnel is essential.”
The circular also read that during the shutdown, the river inflow of the Ranganadi would have to be diverted from entering into the tunnel and the same shall be released downstream by opening of the radial gates of the dam.
According to the circular, the dewatering of the reservoir may take up to four days.
During the dewatering period, 1 cumec of water, in addition to the normal river inflow will be released, after which the normal river flow will continue during the entire shutdown period.
The NEEPCO authority had also appealed to the villagers residing in and around the reservoir area as well as on the bank of Panyor in the downstream of the diversion dam and Pare, downstream of the powerhouse not to go near the reservoir or on the banks of the river.