Kullu: Police have registered an FIR against the management of National Hydroelectric Power Corporation’s (NHPC’s) 800-MW Parbati Stage-II hydropower project after a sudden, high-pressure water release from an auxiliary tunnel flooded the Raila area in Sainj valley, destroying houses, crops, and infrastructure late Saturday night.The police booked NHPC authorities under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 125 (act endangering life) and 324(4) (causing financial loss) following a complaint by the vice-pradhan of the Raila gram panchayat.Preliminary investigations by Banjar SDM Pankaj Kumar indicated that an air-pressure valve connected to the 31.5-km head-race tunnel malfunctioned at Adit-V near Raila. Designed to vent air upward, the faulty valve instead released high-pressure water, carrying muck and dumping-site debris downhill into Palachar village, forcing residents to flee overnight.The Kullu administration has constituted a 12-member committee headed by the Sainj tehsildar to investigate the technical cause, check for standard operating procedure violations, recommend preventive steps, and evaluate total losses. Preliminary estimates place infrastructure damage between ₹1 crore and ₹1.5 crore, excluding agricultural and horticultural destruction.The local panchayat alleged that the public sector unit ignored prior warnings about the site’s vulnerability.“Three months ago, I had submitted a gram sabha proposal to NHPC while warning them of the hazard and requesting protection works. Yet, they turned a deaf ear. And our worst fears came true. The NHPC is completely responsible for the losses,” said Tek Singh Thakur, pradhan of Raila panchayat.“Huge damage has been caused in Raila due to NHPC’s negligence. Approximately 10 to 15 families have suffered heavy losses, including houses that were under construction. As many as more families downstream are now at risk,” Thakur added.The committee—comprising officials from NHPC, HPPCL, PWD, jal shakti, agriculture, forest, and mining departments—will inspect the site to establish technical accountability and establish loss parameters for affected families.
