By Abdullahi Lukman
Tala Dam in western Bhutan has overtopped following unprecedented rainfall, triggering flood warnings for downstream areas in India’s north Bengal region.
The inflow of the Wangchhu River surged from under 200 cubic meters per second at 4 AM to around 1,260 cubic meters per second by 11 AM, causing water to spill over the dam around 7 AM.
At that time, two of the dam’s four radial gates were partially open, and the Tala powerhouse was operating at 1020MW plus 10 percent. Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) reported the situation remained unchanged as of 12:30 PM.
No casualties have been reported after duty staff were evacuated overnight. DGPC is mobilizing resources to resume normal operations once river flows decrease.
Other Bhutanese power plants have been mostly shut down to protect equipment from flood debris.
The National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) has issued alerts to West Bengal authorities about the potential flood impact.
India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has placed its Alipurduar unit on highest alert and deployed additional personnel for rescue and relief efforts.
The warning comes amid ongoing recovery in north Bengal from landslides and floods caused by heavy rains, which have claimed at least 18 lives and damaged infrastructure.
Officials caution that rising rivers could trigger flash floods in the Dooars region.