Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Gangtok: Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) leader Tseten Tashi Bhutia is pushing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to freeze all new hydro-electric work in Sikkim. Bhutia, who serves as the Sikkim BJP Chief Advisor, also wants a formal, time-bound investigation into every current and planned power project across the mountain state.
He raised these demands in a public appeal titled Sikkim Stands with Nepal. The statement sends condolences to those hit by the recent, lethal floods in Nepal. Bhutia claims this catastrophe proves how unstable the Himalayan terrain really is. He argues the government must rethink its current pace of construction.
The inquiry needs to examine environmental, seismic, and social impacts. It must also address national security threats to India’s Himalayan border. Bhutia wants the central government to publish a White Paper containing all findings from this review. He insists he is not anti-development, but wants projects that respect the fragile local geology. His push comes as floods and landslides spark alarm across the entire mountain belt.
He warned that authorities must act now to stop a similar tragedy from hitting Sikkim. As Bhutia put it, "Save Sikkim’s rivers. Save the Himalayas. Protect India’s frontier."
Comments