A sudden and massive discharge of water from an underground hydropower tunnel triggered widespread devastation across the scenic Sainj Valley in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district. Excessive water leakage originating from Adit-5 of the NHPC Parbati Hydroelectric Project Stage-Two sent an avalanche of muddy slush coursing through Palchara village, forcing families to flee their residences and causing extensive structural and agricultural damage.
Late-Night Deluge Forces Frantic Evacuation in Sainj Valley
The incident unfolded late Saturday night when an overwhelming torrent of muddy water unexpectedly breached the village boundaries. Around 11 pm, panic swept through the settlement as residents coordinated among themselves in pitch darkness to safely relocate vulnerable families away from the surging flow. With their residences compromised by mud and surging runoff, several displaced households had to take temporary refuge in the homes of neighboring villagers to survive the night.
Extensive Destruction to Residential Structures, Businesses, and Crops
The rush of silt and debris caused severe devastation across residential and commercial properties in the village. According to local residents, two houses were buried under thick debris, one newly built home suffered critical structural destruction, and two other residential buildings along with two shops sustained significant damage. Properties, shops, and homestays owned by Daveram, Jayram, Ganga Ram, Thakur Das, and Ludar Chand bore the brunt of the onslaught. Thick sludge also inundated agricultural fields, wiping out local crops.
Third Recurrence Sparks Anger as Administrative Officials Inspect the Site
Following the disaster, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Civil) Pankaj Sharma and Project Head Ranjit Singh visited the affected area to evaluate the ground reality. The visiting officials engaged directly with the aggrieved villagers and offered assurances that all necessary assistance would be provided. The local community has petitioned the administration for an urgent and comprehensive damage assessment, alongside immediate protective measures to prevent future hazards.
Local representatives have pointed out persistent infrastructural failures at the site. Zilla Parishad member Vibha Singh noted that Raili panchayat has been struggling with this alarming situation repeatedly, noting a similar leakage event just last year. Corroborating the pattern, Moti Ram, the deputy pradhan of Raila-2, stated that this marks the third time such an inundation has afflicted the communities of Palchara and Thalyaru. He demanded prompt compensation from NHPC and called for an enduring engineering solution to stop recurrent tunnel breaches.
