Teesta River is a 315 km (196 mi) long river that rises in the eastern Himalayas, flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal through Bangladesh and enters the Bay of Bengal. Teesta River is a crucial part of the state, culturally extremely important to the people of Sikkim, revered as one of the deities of the land. The land itself holds caves, mountains, lakes, and rivers that are objects of worship for the people of Sikkim, mainly the indigenous Lepcha people. Located in the northwest of Sikkim, since early 60’s Dzongu has been reserved for the Lepcha community and borders the Kanchendzonga Biosphere Reserve.
Affected Citizens of Teesta, is a forum which consisted mainly of indigenous Sikkimese (Lepchas) have been advocating and fighting against the hydropower projects since early 2004, since the proposal of hydropower projects and dams near Dzongu. The hunger strike that went on in 2007, 2008 and 2009 which was historic in Sikkim led by ACT against the instalments of big Dams in the local rivers spoke in volumes that led the charge. After the long period of strike, the government decided to scrap 4 projects of the 6 most destructive ones in Dzongu. 510 MW Teesta HEP stage IV and the Panam HEP 300 MW was withheld for many years. The new government formed in Sikkim has announced the supposed approval of the Stage IV dam. To save the last free-flowing, untouched stretch of Teesta, the campaign Save Teesta has started.
Since 1990, the number and size of the Glacial lakes have been increasing across the Himalayas. With 90 million people exposed to the impacts of the GLOF Disaster across 30 countries living in 1089 basins containing glacial lakes, these disasters are never quantified at a global scale. 62% (~9.3 million) of the globally exposed population are located in the HMA region. 1 million people living within 10 km of a glacial lake of High Mountains Asia are exposed to such disasters. GLOF events are set to become more common, particularly in Himalayan states like Sikkim which are vulnerable to the effects of global warming. In the early hours of October 4, the glacier-fed South Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim breached, causing a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) that destroyed the state’s largest hydropower plant and left at least 35 people dead and around 104 missing as of October 9. A second glacial lake, Shako Cho in northern Sikkim, was on high alert and nearby villages evacuated just a day after the flood, due to fears that it, too, would breach.
The persistent protest led particularly by the ACT (Affected Citizens of Teesta), which gained regional, national, and international attention had resulted in the scrapping of four hydropower projects in North Sikkim in the early 2000s, however, what stands out perplexing is the fact that despite such contestation and protests, hydropower development on Teesta, the projects continue to be consistently undertaken by the State Governments as well as the power companies.
Located at the intersection of South, Central, and East Asia, the massive Tibetan Plateau is often considered to be Earth’s “Third Pole.” A land of large glaciers, permafrost, and heavy snow, the plateau feeds a vast network of rivers, including major waterways like the Ganges, Indus, Mekong, Yangtze, and Yellow. These rivers, which together make up Asia’s “water tower,” provide water to nearly 40% of the world’s population. Sikkim and Darjeeling form a part of Earth’s Third Pole and River Teesta is an important lifeline that merges with River Meghna in Bangladesh.
Rivers in the Himalayas call for careful reconsideration when constructing hydroelectric dams, emphasizing the need for thorough risk assessments during implementation. The story of the River Teesta is one of many water stories that have been adversely affected by hydro dams. Despite the claims by politicians and industry actors that hydro is “clean and green,” hydroelectric dam development has numerous environmental, social, economic, and political impacts on communities around the world.
With 47 dams either proposed or commissioned and 14 pharmaceutical companies mushrooming along the river belt of River Teesta, such disasters prompt reflection on potential hazards for downstream communities in this fragile ecosystem.
Hydropower development has been a cornerstone of economic growth and energy production in many regions, including the states of Sikkim and West Bengal along the Teesta River. However, many environmental, social and adverse mental health impacts have been experienced. Learn more about these impacts.
The construction of hydroelectric dams has been associated with a range of negative impacts on local communities and the environment. The environmental impacts of hydropower are significant, including the destruction of forests, wildlife habitats, agricultural land, and scenic areas, which can sometimes force human populations to relocate.
The social implications are equally concerning. Displacement and dispossession of land due to dam construction are correlated with depression and other mental health issues. In some cases, such as in the Alto Bio region of Chile, the damages from the construction of hydropower projects played a role in rising suicide rates among the local population. The strain on local infrastructure and resources, including education, transportation, healthcare, electricity, and job opportunities, can lead to reductions in self-rated health and lower social capital, particularly trust, after the construction of dams.
Furthermore, hydropower projects can lead to involuntary migration and dislocation, causing socio-cultural and economic changes in the community. Indigenous populations are particularly vulnerable to the destructive displacement risks associated with hydropower development, which can include landlessness, joblessness, homelessness, and marginalization.
The mental health impacts of disasters such as floods are profound, multifaceted, and often not identified. The environmental disaster is often related to infrastructure loss and human loss but the impact of the disaster, be it any disaster, leads to a trauma that is often not discussed like mitigating environmental disasters. The dialogues and narratives build around building infrastructure like houses and roads but the fear that such disasters cost is often a secondary issue. The Teesta River disaster, for example, has highlighted the urgent need for mental health support and trauma counseling as integral parts of the rehabilitation process. The prevalence of mental health issues among those affected by hydropower dams and related disasters is well-documented, with economic hardship linked to increased psychological stress, a sense of helplessness, insecurity, and social isolation. The importance of developing appropriate plans, policies, and community education to respond to extreme events is vital for managing the catastrophe more wisely.
The film "Voices of Teesta" was funded by the CCMCC-NWO project under 1.3, “How hydropower re-distributes water, energy and risks.” (Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research) Project in alliance with SOPPECOM under the guidance of Dr. Deepa Joshi in 2015 - 2016.
With hydro energy being one of the convenient and available energy source for the development of any given State, the film tries to understand the relationship between various groups and communities of Sikkim and West Bengal with River Teesta. This film tries to trace the faint and unheard voices of local people who are affected by these developments. It travels from the source of River Teesta till the tip of the plains of North Bengal, and traverses through mini and mega hydro projects to capture these naked voices and their bond, angst, adaptation and reconciliation with River Teesta.
The director Minket Lepcha is an awardee of Young Green Filmmaker 2016 in Woodpecker International Film Festival and the film ‘Voices of Teesta’ earned second position in the all India indigenous film festival called “Samuday ke Saath Short Film Festival.” This film also earned 10th position amongst 110 films in World Water Forum in Brazil 2018. The film has travelled in more than 50 places in a span of 7 years from local to global level.
The film team consisted of the following
- Director Minket Lepcha
- Editor Wangyal Sherpa and Salil Mukhia
- Cinematographer: Anup Aadin Das
- Sound Hishey Bhutia
- Research Kachyo Lepcha and Minket Lepcha
With the recent disaster that has occurred in our area and the film deals closely with the River Teesta, the screening of the film has become urgent to educate local people and provide knowledge to the locals of the region. The screening of the same film has been happening around more than 10 places around India and likely to screen in Canada also. The idea behind the physical screening is for people to come and gather together to reflect on the disaster that these fragile mountains are going through. The proceeds of the fundraiser will go towards building a mental health counselling group for the victims who have lost their loved ones and houses in Teesta River. The audience who will come for the screening need not directly contribute in fundraising. The poster will have a link where the audience or well wishers can directly donate to the link. The screening is also to educate young generation as the disaster is still very raw in our minds and if we do not raise awareness, the environmental crisis around our region will be disastrous.
Voices of Teesta has acted as an archive of human voices speaking of the river Teesta. The film is used as a curriculum in Vanderbilt University in United States of America to study human geography. The film is also a part of the curriculum for Water Classrooms designed by Living Water Museum. These classrooms has developed pedagogical tools using place-based, visually engaging and interactive content for middle school students that would enable students to reimagine just, resilient and equitable water futures. The “Water Classrooms” were initiated in Pune and was a joint collaboration of Living Waters Museum at the Centre for Water Research, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune and Centre for Environment Education, Pune, Science Activity Centre (IISER Pune) and contributors from Punyache Paani – Stories of Pune’s Waters.
The film is also shown in many schools populated by tribals in India as a part of the initiatives for acquiring Second place in the Institutional Category in Samuday Ke Saath National Film Competition of Tata Steel Foundation.
The film captures the voices of local people affected by hydropower developments along the Teesta River. It highlights the unique practices and beliefs of mountain communities and their struggle to balance faith, tradition, and economic necessity in the face of these developments.
The film has been instrumental in raising awareness about the environmental and cultural issues surrounding the Teesta River. It has been screened in various locations in India and is expected to be screened in Canada and other countries. The screenings serve as a platform for reflection on the environmental crises these regions face and the urgent need for action.
In conclusion, the case study of the documentary film "Voices of Teesta" not only brings attention to the environmental and cultural issues associated with hydropower development but also emphasizes the critical need for community engagement, sustainable development practices, and mental health support in the face of environmental crises. It is essential to consider the long-term health and social impacts of dams and to ensure that mitigation efforts are in place to prevent catastrophic social and environmental consequences.
"Voices of Teesta" was produced in 2015 and 2016. The film has traveled and won awards during these years. However, following the October 2023 disaster on the River Teesta, which resulted in many casualties and left the mountains in a fragile condition after the flood, the film has been screened in smaller, local spaces where the film is based. Civil societies and café owners have been requesting voluntary screenings of the film in their spaces. These screenings are allowing communities and stakeholders to engage in deeper conversations about their respective relationships with water and rivers.
Communities from across the Himalayas, ranging from small villages in Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh in Northern India to Nepal, have been showcasing this film to learn about the relationship between water and people. The objective of screening the film is mainly to encourage local communities to engage in discussions regarding their own relationships with issues surrounding water, hydropower, or developmental structures in the fragile Himalayan region. Their concerns and sense of helplessness toward these natural disasters are evident through their shared experiences, revealing that their connection with water and rivers goes beyond viewing these resources solely for human consumption. These shared experiences have been uploaded to an Instagram page called @riverandstories.
After the 4th October 2023 GLOF disaster, the film was screened in various platforms to act as a catalyst to create conversations around their relationship with water and rivers around them.
Three questions were asked to the audience after the screening:
These screenings were to amplify the voices of the connection that humans have with the rivers and waters. We are so grateful to the entire Environmental Conservation Laboratory who provided a team to pull these screenings together in Canada and help amplify the voice. In India, many local cafes, schools and colleges came together to screen the film and reflect on their connection with water. We may not have the answers but our effort is to amplify the voices of water far and beyond and allow the film to be the catalyst for such conversations.