Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday, 21 July 2026 expressed deep anguish over a tragic incident at the under-construction Teesta-VI Hydroelectric Project in Namchi, South Sikkim, offering condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and calling for prayers for the safe rescue of workers trapped inside a tunnel.

In a post on X, Khattar wrote — 'दक्षिणी सिक्किम के नामची में निर्माणाधीन तीस्ता-VI जलविद्युत परियोजना में हुई दुःखद घटना से मन अत्यंत व्यथित है' — ('My heart is deeply pained by the tragic incident at the under-construction Teesta-VI Hydroelectric Project in Namchi, South Sikkim'). He conveyed his 'deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident.'

Context

The incident occurred at the construction site of the Teesta-VI Hydroelectric Project, a run-of-the-river scheme on the Teesta river in South Sikkim. The project is part of a cascade of hydroelectric developments in the Teesta basin that India has been pursuing since the early 2000s to expand renewable power capacity in the northeast. Khattar confirmed that rescue and relief operations were underway 'on a war footing' (yuddh star par) to bring out those trapped in the tunnel.

The minister stated that 'all possible assistance is being provided by the local administration and the state government,' signalling active coordination between central and state authorities. He concluded by praying for the safe rescue of all trapped individuals and for strength to be granted to the bereaved families.

Policy Backdrop

The Teesta river basin in Sikkim hosts several cascading hydroelectric projects that form a critical pillar of India's northeastern power development strategy. Tunnel and underground excavation works in the region's steep Himalayan terrain have historically presented significant geological and safety challenges for contractors and regulatory bodies.

The Teesta-VI project, like others in the cascade, is designed to harness the river's flow without large impoundment, making underground civil works — including tunnels — a central and high-risk component of construction. Safety protocols for such projects fall under the purview of both central power sector regulators and state-level agencies.

Stakeholders and Impact

The immediate victims of the incident are construction workers employed at the Teesta-VI site, whose families now face uncertainty. The broader community of Sikkim residents, particularly in South Sikkim, is also affected given the project's proximity to Namchi, the district headquarters.

For India's hydropower ambitions in the northeast, incidents of this nature draw renewed scrutiny to worker safety standards, geological risk assessments, and the pace of underground construction in fragile Himalayan zones. State and local administrations are currently leading on-ground rescue efforts, consistent with standard protocol for such emergencies.

What's Next

Official updates on the outcome of the ongoing rescue operation, the cause of the accident, and the number of workers affected are expected from Sikkim state authorities and the project's executing agency in the coming hours and days. A formal cause investigation and safety audit of the Teesta-VI site are likely to follow once the immediate rescue phase concludes.

The incident may also prompt a broader review of safety norms across under-construction hydroelectric tunnel projects in India's Himalayan states, where similar geological vulnerabilities have triggered accidents in the past. The trajectory of the Teesta-VI project's construction timeline will depend significantly on the findings of any such audit.