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.

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 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.

"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. 

November 4 2023 Himachal Pradesh India

Bhuira Village Sirmaur District, Ritu-Ngapnon-Varuni, Mountainwind Programme

November 5 2023 Siliguri, India

Veganation, Salbari, Opp. Union Bank Organiser: Sabina Saby Tamang of Borrowed Fragrances and VYDA Branding Co. Dr. Ringee Eden Wangdi and Arnab Bhattacharya from @NESPON

November 5 2023 Bijanbari, Darjelling, India

Manprasad Subba and Chota Rangeet Bachao Abhiyan

November 8 2023 Arunachal Pradesh, India

Aakash Deep, Itanagar Bazaar

November 19 2023 Gangtok, India

Echostream, Opposite Dukit Paan Dokan, Secretariat Road

Organizer: Blooming Sikkim, Tseten Lepcha, Dr. Kachyo Lepcha, Mr. Ian Christopher, Mr. Deoshish Mothey were speakers speaking on River Teesta

November 21 2023 New Delhi, India

Youth for Climate India, South Extension

November 22 2023 Kokrajhar, Assam, India

Bodoland University, Assam Organized by Morin Daimary, NERSWN and Gangjema Gateway Motorcycle Club - GGMC engaging with the Political Science and Geography Departments

November 22 2023 Kalimpong, India

Worship Centre, 9th Mile, below New Bus Stand, Kalimpong, India Fresh Water Angling - F.W.A and H.A.C.T. (Himalayan Anglers Conservation Trust)

November 25 2023 Darjeeling, India

Writers’ Club in collaboration with Department of English, Darjeeling Government College | Organised by Reep Pandi Lepcha

November 25-26 Pune, Maharashtra, India

Organized by the Steering committee of India Rivers Forum

December 1-3 Arunachal Pradesh, India

Dibang Valley | Organized by Dibang Valley group

December 3 Kurseong, India

72 hill cart road, Kurseong, Next to old Bata Shop | Organised by Oro Cafe and Living the Culture

December 6 Gangtok, India

The Travel Cafe, Development Area | Organized by Tag Along

December 16 Kholey Dai Festival, India

Kholey Dai festival in Kalimpong

January 21 Kalimpong, India

March 20 Mumbai, India

IDP in Climate Studies | Organized by: Climate Cafe Team

November 6 Kathmandu, Nepal

Ananda Bhumi Events, New Baneshwor Organiser: Shreshna Basnet. Dr. Khet Raj Dahal, Senior Research Fellow as one of the main speaker. Pani Satsang from Nepal Water Conservation Foundation for Academic Research

November 21, 2023 Thailand

Wongsanit Ashram Presented by Dr. Reep Pandi Lepcha

July 26 2024 Amsterdam, Netherlands

Critical Himalayan Collective and Rasa Collective effort

July 26 2024 London, England

Brunel University, Ecology and Environment London | Himalayan Short Film Festival

February 16 2024 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada | Organizer: University of Manitoba Environment & Geography Student Association

March 21 2024 Thompson, Manitoba, Canada

University College of the North | Venue: 302 A Lecture Theatre, THOMPSON, Manitoba | Young People and Elder's Gathering 2023

March 27 2024 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Venue: 1M28, Manitoba Hall Winnipeg, Manitoba | Global College, University of Winnipeg

GoFund Me

Milaap 

21 torch lights were distributed to the villagers from Naga, North Sikkim where the entire village was coming downhill and the roads were sinking towards the river. Schools and houses were evacuated while the filmmaker Minket Lepcha visited to distribute the torch lights. The torch lights cost around Rs 21000.

Rs 14000 was donated to the rafters from West Bengal Teesta Rangeet Rescue Centre to buy a paddle for their raft. They are solely responsible for taking out the dead bodies which come floating from the upstream. With help from Anugyalaya organization, they have received the support of life jackets also.

Rs 9207 will be provided to an estranged family in Teesta Bazaar from West Bengal. An old age couple is looking after an ailing daughter and they are staying in a camp after the flood. Minket Lepcha met the mother in the Trauma Care workshop that was held in Malli.

Minket Lepcha along with Mutanchi Souls, Lakith Lepcha, Alyen Foning and Bipasha Miatra came togetehr to conduct a two day storytelling for the citizens who were interested in healing through the stories of River Teesta. The session was hosted by Buddha Padha. The fund collected was Rs 4500 and that fund was gifted to Save the Hills to purchase their accessories for the drone that Anugyalaya purchased for them to monitor the water levels in West Bengal region.

The additional amount was added to the bill - Rs 6035

On 10th August 2024, the Teesta connect workshop was held in Echostream, Gangtok, Sikkim. Teesta Connect as the name suggest is a space that encourages communities to create a space to talk about river Teesta and build a bond amidst the young generation to speak their conversation with the River Teesta. Ms. Minket Lepcha, a PhD student from University of Manitoba along with two core members – Rummit Lepcha and Chezang Lepcha facilitated.

The workshop was designed with the following objectives in mind:  

• Acknowledging Community Knowledge: Felicitating all the local photographers who were a part of North East Water Talk project where their stories and photographs were printed in a form of a book. This was also to acknowledge the importance of community voices to speak for themselves and empowering their ideas and intergenerational knowledge.
• Building a Community: To help the community recognize their inherent strengths and the collective power they possess to overcome challenges and build a resilient future.  
• To Bridge the knowledge system: To encourage fragmented communities to connect with the River Teesta through a creative process of self-reflection and expression through drawing and engage in knowledge sharing and empowering one another through that knowledge. 
• Visualisation of community based approach: Initiating a process to visualise and experience what working together as a community would be like.  
• Introducing Global North Hydro issues: Introduce the Hydro issues faced by Global North and introduce a badge which inspired the entire Teesta Connect workshop.   

Teesta Connect Workshop marked an important milestone in the region to create a path to recovery and resilience. In the face of the on-going struggles caused by the GLOF of October 4, 2023, the workshop created not just an organic space to engage in a conversation but build a community to address these issues.  

The enthusiastic participation were mostly youth coming from various genres and background. More importantly, the workshop reinforced the sense of unity and collective strength needed to face and surmount difficulties, creating a sense of #riverhood.

Towards the end of the project the participants had a tangible hand drawn badge/buttons showcasing a collective art of the participants present there. There was a magical performance of Chu Kingchum who emoted himself like the River Teesta and enthralled everyone with him embodying the turmoil of the River. The participants not only created something together but experienced the wrath of the River through a holistic experience of collective work.    

The workshop was supported by Environmental Conservation Lab where Minket Lepcha is a part of the Lab.