ACT Announces Four-Day ‘Teesta Matters to Me’ Foot March in Sikkim

The Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) has announced a four-day foot march in Sikkim from July 24 to highlight the ecological and cultural importance of the Teesta river and renew its opposition to certain hydropower projects in North Sikkim.

The movement, which is largely led by members of the indigenous Lepcha community, will be organised under the theme “Teesta Matters to Me.” ACT has for years campaigned against large-scale hydropower development in the environmentally fragile Dzongu region and the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve.

Addressing a press conference in Gangtok on Thursday, ACT general secretary Gyatso Lepcha said the march would also remember those who played a key role in the movement. The organisation has reiterated its demand for the cancellation of the 520 MW Teesta Stage IV project, being developed by NHPC, as well as the proposed 280 MW Panan Hydro Power Project in Dzongu.

ACT has also called for the Teesta-Rongyong stretch in Dzongu to be declared a river sanctuary, pointing to its ecological value and significance as a butterfly-rich area. It has sought new Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for all five existing hydropower projects located along the Teesta river in Sikkim.

The march will cover four stages, beginning with Dzongu to Mangan on July 24. Participants will then travel from Mangan to Rangpo, Rangpo to Melli, and finally reach the Teesta-Rangit confluence at Triveni in Kalimpong district of West Bengal. A Lepcha ritual is planned at the confluence before the participants return.

The campaign will also draw attention to the Teesta Stage VI disaster, alleged negligence by NHPC and what ACT termed violations of human rights.

ACT has urged civil society organisations and individuals concerned about the Teesta to support and participate in the march. Following its conclusion, the organisation plans to submit a memorandum to the Sikkim government outlining its demands.

The group said the initiative is aimed at protecting the Teesta river, the communities dependent on it and its future.