The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) has clarified that the flash flood which devastated the residential colony of the Panyor Lower Hydroelectric Power Station in Arunachal Pradesh’s Keyi Panyor district was caused by highly localized and intense rainfall, and was not related to the operation of the project’s reservoir or powerhouse. In a statement issued on Friday, NEEPCO said the flash flood struck the project colony at around 6.30 am on June 24 after exceptionally heavy rainfall began at about 3 am over a small catchment area surrounding the hydropower project.
According to the corporation, the intense rainfall caused two small streams near the administrative and dam site colony to overflow, triggering a sudden flash flood that swept away 24 residential buildings and damaged several others. The disaster claimed one life, while four people remain missing. Search and rescue operations are continuing with the involvement of the district administration, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Indian Air Force. NEEPCO said it joined hands with the Arunachal Pradesh government immediately after the incident to launch rescue and relief operations, including the airlifting of injured persons. The public sector power company said its Early Warning System (EWS), which monitors rainfall and reservoir inflow, did not record any unusually high rainfall over the reservoir catchment or any abnormal increase in reservoir inflow during the incident.
Based on its preliminary assessment, NEEPCO said the flash flood was caused by localized heavy rainfall over a limited area and not by any sudden release of water or increase in river flow from upstream. The corporation further clarified that the incident had no connection with the operation of the reservoir or powerhouse. It also stated that no downstream areas were affected by the flash flood, reiterating that the hydropower project’s operations did not contribute to the disaster.
