Hydel project equipment washed away in stream water surge

GANGTOK: Equipment worth Rs 1.5 crore was washed away from a hydel project site in Sikkim last evening after a hill stream submerged banks following heavy rains in its catchment area.

Water level at Dikchu Khola (stream), which starts from the confluence of Baghca and Ratey Chu, surged and toppled the makeshift bridge besides washing away equipment worth Rs 1.5 crore of Dickhu hydro-electric project site, official sources said.

One person, identified as Nar Bahadur Pradhan, got stranded at the far bank on the northern side last night and was later rescued, they said.

The equipment belongs to Drillcon Infrastructure Private Ltd, a sub-contractor of Sneha Kinetic Power Project Ltd, which is developing the 96 MW Dikchu project.

The Drillcon project Manager said it will take at least one week, before work can resume at the site.