We met Simran (25yrs) in this relief centre at Krishnagram, Teesta bazar (Kalimpong, W Bengal) on 21Oct2023. She and her family of five had abandoned their home due to the GLOF and shifted into the Community Hall along with 3 other families. With the Teesta river constantly nibbling the base of the hill where this building was situated, it was clear the relief centre would itself be unsafe. The relief centre has since been pulled down and this entire area is today a sinking area - we have covered the story of Krishnagram or Bhasuwa in our blog (http://savethehills.blogspot.com/2024/07/impact-of-teesta-valley-glof-photo.html)

This is Sunayana, in her Puja (Prayer) room of her home at Teesta Bazar on 25Oct2023. She bitterly stated that the floods had not even spared her deity. She recollected being woken up at around 4 am on 04Oct2023 by her daughter and seeing a wall of water sweeping down the Teesta valley accompanied by the eerie sight of vehicles with headlights still shining, being swept away like toys. Sunayana and her family abandoned their home, fleeing uphill into the darkness. As we spoke, the sound of the Teesta River lapping at the edges of her basement served as a haunting reminder of the disaster's ongoing impact.

A distinct trademark of the GLOF impact was that everything in its path was quickly covered in a 10-15 feet blanket of sand and debris in a few hours before the Teesta river receded to a lower level. We met this couple at Tar Khola (Kalimpong district, W Bengal) digging out what was left of their home after the GLOF had submerged it entirely in sand and debris. Often politicians and outsiders would question the local affected people why they built their homes so close to the river to which they would reply and tell them their homes were in fact quite far from the river and that it was the river which had now come close to their homes - having seen many many affected areas along the valley, I entirely believe the local people

The GLOF struck suddenly, catching many off guard at the end of the monsoon season. People fled their homes in the dead of night, often with just the clothes they were wearing. The disaster claimed more than just homes; it took away crucial documents, including identity papers, land records, and financial files. In Chungthang (N Sikkim, India), I came across two college students who had no ID papers at all – all their documentation had vanished along with their home in the GLOF. Here, I photographed a man at Rangpo on 06Oct2023 going thru his AADHAR card, a paper which serves as proof of identity and address for Indian residents.

A low lying area which was suddenly engulfed by the GLOF on 04Oct2023 was Geil khola (Kalimpong district, W Bengal) Many homes, including the one shown in the photo still lie buried under the debris which the flood waters brought in. Here, Chand Adhikari who worked for a railway tunnel contractor is pictured on top of what used to be their dining room. 12 other young workers stayed in this rented home. The GLOF buried everything they possessed and they were told not to excavate the house for fear of army explosives which also had been swept away in the floods.

One of the most debilitating and long lasting impacts of the GLOF was on communication lines and bridges in Sikkim and North Bengal which were shredded all over the affected areas. All in all, 14 odd major bridges were destroyed and the National Highway 10 was damaged at innumerable places. In Sangakalan, North Sikkim, locals had constructed a temporary bamboo bridge across the Teesta River to transport essential supplies to Dzongu. The photo captures a contract laborer navigating this precarious bridge, highlighting the resilience of the community in the face of disaster.

The first major population hub to be hit by the GLOF on 04Oct2023 was Singtam which serves as business centre for Sikkim. Here, many of the residents evacuated to higher ground on being warned both by their relatives and community members who were upstream and also by the Sikkim police who’s actions certainly saved lives. However, a major bridge was swept away here while both Goli Tar and Lal Bazar at Singtam were severely impacted. The flood’s impacts are still visible at Goli Tar, Singtam where this business house is seen 03Nov2023. It is clogged with debris from the GLOF.

Rangpo, in Sikkim is the 2nd major population centre which was impacted severely by the GLOF in the early hours of 04Oct2023. An entire shanty town called IBM in the low lying parts of the town vanished under a 10 foot blanket of gooey sludge and debris. People died here, even though most managed to clamber to safety on higher ground in the dead of night. When we reached Rangpo in the early morning of 06Oct2023, people were still in shock – many residents of IBM were trying to locate where their homes were under a giant football field of sludge and debris. Others were holed up in relief camps or being fed by volunteers cooking in the open. The river though still violent and swift had receded and flowed far from the main town. Months later, despite a huge clean-up effort by the Government and locals alike, much needs to be done. The image shows two buildings in IBM, Rangpo being extricated out of the debris which covered one floor of the buildings.

The GLOF in the Teesta Valley disproportionately affected vulnerable communities, thus a small home and momo shop at Tar Khola, West Bengal was filled with debris and sand. On 29Oct2023, when we visited the area, the owners had started cleaning their home but some rooms were still under 3-4 feet of debris. I visited Tar Khola again on 19Mar2025 and was pleased to see that the shop had reopened and was doing brisk business in a remarkable show of resilience. Notably, the GLOF also destroyed a major bridge linking Sikkim to West Bengal at Tar Khola on 04Oct2023.

The Patel Engineering group was constructing the powerhouse for NHPC's 500MW Teesta Stage VI dam at Sirwani in Singtam, at Tar Khola, Sikkim. The October2023 GLOF caused significant damage, destroying the bridge and submerging much of the powerhouse, resulting in substantial financial losses. On 29Oct2023, I captured a photograph of the collapsed powerhouse structures from across the Teesta river, taken through the window of a home partially buried under GLOF debris.

The Teesta GLOF disaster of 04Oct2023, demonstrated that nature knows no borders or boundaries. The disaster swept through Sikkim, West Bengal, and eventually Bangladesh, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The GLOF's impact was felt across different communities and faiths. This photo of 29Oct2023 shows: - A Hindu temple in Singtam, Sikkim, with debris being excavated by a bulldozer, while anxious devotees wait outside

The Teesta GLOF disaster of 04Oct2023, demonstrated that nature knows no borders or boundaries. The disaster swept through Sikkim, West Bengal, and eventually Bangladesh, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The GLOF's impact was felt across different communities and faiths. This photo shows: - - A mosque (masjid) in Melli, Kalimpong, West Bengal, affected by the disaster.

The Teesta GLOF disaster of 04Oct2023, demonstrated that nature knows no borders or boundaries. The disaster swept through Sikkim, West Bengal, and eventually Bangladesh, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The GLOF's impact was felt across different communities and faiths. This photo shows: - A church in Bhalukhola, Kalimpong, West Bengal, inundated by the floodwaters

Chungthang, once a thriving tourism hub in North Sikkim, owed its growth to the construction of the 1200MW Sikkim Urja dam. The town boasted lush greenery, a serene lake, and crisp mountain air, recipes which attracted hordes of tourists to the town. The GLOF of Oct2023 changed all that. When we visited Chungthang on 19Nov2023, what we saw was a town strewn with rocks and boulders of all sizes and buried in a huge layer of sand and soil. Massive earth moving machines and trucks clanked and worked all day as they tried to clear the rubble and dirt and make the town habitable for tourists once more.

National Highway 10 is a vital link between the plains of West Bengal and the Himalayas in Sikkim, supporting tourism and local livelihoods. The October 2023 GLOF caused widespread damage to roads, bridges, and hundreds of motor vehicles, impacting the region's economy. This photo, taken in October 2023, shows two SUVs rendered useless by the GLOF, highlighting the devastating impact on the local transportation industry and the livelihoods of those who depend on it.

Meet TIKA KARKI of Krishnagram, Teesta Bazar, Kalimpong I first met Tika and his family almost two years ago soon after the GLOF of Oct2023. I have a photo of his wife in her kitchen which showed signs of instability even then and talked with his daughter, a college student and his son – a budding musician. Since then things have only turned bad to worse for Tika and rapidly so. I took this image of Tika in front of his home fairly recently and it shows his home nearly toppling over into the Teesta river. He has, of course closed his motor cycle repair shop and moved to a rented home elsewhere in Teesta bazar. He only has a small tyre repair shop now but still can smile and talk of his misfortune. I have intentionally placed Tika’s story at the end of this photo essay to showcase an exceptional tale of bravery.