A sudden discharge of water from an auxiliary tunnel of the Parbati Hydroelectric Project Phase-II triggered a flood-like situation in Palchara village under Raila panchayat of Sainj valley, forcing families to flee their homes in the dead of night yesterday.
The incident occurred around 11 pm when water gushed out from ADIT-V of the project’s 32-km Head Race Tunnel (HRT), carrying debris from a nearby dumping site into the residential area.
According to officials, the ingress occurred due to a technical snag in the tunnel. While no human casualty was reported, two houses were severely damaged and around 15 families suffered losses to their homes, shops and homestays. A dozen families spent the night in fear as debris-laden water entered their premises.
On receiving information, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Civil), Banjar, Pankaj Sharma, along with a technical team from NHPC, rushed to the affected village and met panchayat representatives and residents to assess the damage.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Surjeet Singh Rathore confirmed that the leakage had been fully stopped and machinery had been deployed to clear the accumulated debris. He directed officials to prioritise resolving local grievances and submit a detailed factual report for further action.
Raila panchayat president Tek Singh Thakur alleged that NHPC’s negligence had created a persistent threat to the area. He said the panchayat had previously submitted a proposal in the gram sabha to vacate the dangerous dumping site, but the management ignored it.
“Several families are now being forced to relocate unnecessarily,” he said, demanding proper compensation for the affected families.
Guman Singh, coordinator of local NGO Himalayan Niti Abhiyan, warned that the entire Raila panchayat was built on sloped terrain with loose, fragile soil. “The dumping site above Palchara poses a constant risk of catastrophic damage,” he said. He called for an immediate investigation into the cause of the leak and urged the government to ensure full compensation and safety for local communities.
NHPC PHEP-II General Manager Ranjeet Singh said no untoward incident had occurred due to divine grace and assured that the Revenue Department would assess the losses and provide all possible compensation to affected families.
