The Tapovan Dam is located at the confluence of the Dhauliganga and Rishiganga rivers.
New Delhi:
A preliminary study of the damage caused by glacier breakage and flooding at Uttarakhand’s Tapovan Vishnugad hydroelectric power station shows that the dam has been “completely washed away,” Indian Air Force sources said on Sunday.
Images from reconnaissance flights showed that the dam, located at the confluence of the Dhauliganga and Rishiganga rivers, about 280 km east of the state capital, Dehradun, was destroyed. Two bridges at the entrance to the Malari Valley and near Tapovan have also been razed.
However, the main road between Joshimath and Tapovan is intact. Construction work and cabins in the valley have been damaged.
“Debris [was] seen from the entrance of the Nanda Devi glacier to Pipalkoti and Chamoli along Dhauliganga and Alaknanda, ”said Air Force sources.
Owned by state-owned NTPC Limited, the 520 MW Tapovan hydroelectric project was being built at a cost of almost Rs 3,000 crore.
Several people who work at the facility are among the 170 missing in the carnage on Sunday caused by the glacier breach near the village of Raini on the Rishiganga River.
NTPC said that the avalanche had damaged a part of its Tapovan Vishnugad plant, adding that the situation is being continuously monitored.
Uttarakhand is prone to flash floods and landslides and the disaster prompted calls from environmental groups for a review of energy projects in ecologically sensitive mountains.
The Air Force along with the Army and Navy are assisting with rescue efforts after the tragedy.
The government of Uttarakhand has made the following helplines for the Disaster Operations Center available to people trapped in the affected areas or in need of assistance: 1070 or 9557444486.
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