Twelve workers were injured on Saturday when a landslide struck the Vishnugad Hydroelectric Project site near Helang in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. The project is being developed by THDC, which is also responsible for using water from the Alaknanda River to generate electricity at Pipalkoti.
According to Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari, about 300 labourers were working at the site when a large rock suddenly rolled down from the hillside. Around 70 workers were in the immediate danger zone. Many ran for their lives.
Eight workers suffered minor injuries, while four were seriously hurt. All injured workers were taken to Vivekanand Hospital in Pipalkoti. One of them has a leg fracture. Another, who may have a spinal injury, is being taken by ambulance to a hospital in Srinagar (Pauri district) for an MRI scan. The MRI report will reveal the severity of his injury.
Following the incident, construction work at the site has been temporarily stopped. The district administration has asked THDC to resume operations only after ensuring complete safety for all workers.
Personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police, and the health department quickly reached the spot after the landslide was reported.
The THDC is building a barrage to divert water from the Alaknanda River near Helang through a tunnel to Pipalkoti, where the water will run turbines to generate power. Notably, this same site was damaged during a major flood in 2021 in Alaknanda river.
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