The guard wall of the project collapsed after the rise in water level, said sources.
A massive landslide triggered by heavy rain in Arunachal Pradesh has damaged the guard wall of Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (SLHP) at Gerukamukh. The intake tunnel of the project has been closed due to the damage, said sources.
"The guard wall collapsed after the rise in water level due to heavy rain in Arunachal Pradesh. After the damage, the labourers working at the site were immediately evacuated. Ongoing work has been shut down and it will take time before restarting," an official source said.
Two of the five tunnels of the hydroelectric project have been shut down by the National Hydro Electric Power Corporation (NHPC) to avoid inundation in the downstream areas of Subansiri River in Lakhimpur district, he further said.
The latest developments in the 2,000 MW SLHP dam have been attributed to incessant rain occurring over the past few days in upstream areas of Arunachal Pradesh.
"It will not affect much because it was a temporary structure. No flooding will happen in downstream areas. A similar incident happened on the project site two years ago," the official said.
Heavy downpour has triggered landslides, with flood water flowing above the construction of the main dam, causing devastation in downstream areas.
Workers engaged at the construction site are the most vulnerable to this situation as another collapse would mean disaster for the entire area.
The rise in the water level of Subansiri in its downstream areas from the SLHP dam has alarmed the people of the riverine area of possible flood and erosion on its banks.
Earlier in June, a construction worker was killed and two others injured in a landslide at the under-construction SLHP.