Five workers killed as dam overflows in Meghalaya

Five persons were killed as water overflowed from a dam at a hydel power project in Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya on Thursday.

Five persons were killed as water overflowed from a dam at a hydel power project in Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya on Thursday.

HT Image

Officials of the Meghalaya State Electricity Board (MeSEB) confirmed the deaths of five workers after water gushed through a tunnel, linking the 63-metre-high dam in the 126-MW Myntdu-Leshka Hydroelectric Project.

“The mishap followed the overflowing of the dam due to heavy rains,” said chief project manager Elias Lyngdoh. He said five more workers were still missing and the chances of their survival were slim.

The hills of the Northeast are young by geological standards and are prone to landslips and earthquakes. “These are the primary reasons why big dams in the Northeast are a threat to life and environment,” said anti-dam activist Akhil Gogoi.