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Fourteen months after the Teesta-3 dam in Sikkim was destroyed by a glacier lake outburst flood, killing at least 100 people, an expert committee has recommended reconstructing the dam.
The new dam will be entirely concrete, designed to be stronger, with a spillway that can manage three times the capacity of the previous one
The developer, Sikkim Urja Ltd. (SUL), is required to implement an early-warning system for floods in the upper catchment area.
The flood gates of the previous dam couldn't be opened in time, causing the breach. Had they been opened, the damage would have been less severe.
Cost considerations played a role in the choice of design, along with ensuring the dam could handle the maximum possible rain, as predicted by the India Meteorological Department.
SUL plans to move the dam's control room to a higher elevation for safety and improve the flood response system.
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