KULLU — Terrified residents in the Sainj Valley fled their homes in the middle of the night after a sudden high-pressure leak in the 800-MW Parbati Hydroelectric Project Stage-II unleashed a torrent of water and muck into Palchara village.
The surge was triggered by an air-pressure valve failure near Adit 5, an access tunnel connected to the project's main head-race system.
The escaping water washed down tons of accumulated muck from an NHPC dumping site, engulfing local structures, damaging houses, temporary cafes, and agricultural fields before draining into a nearby stream.
District authorities stopped the leakage by shutting off the water supply and have deployed heavy earthmovers to clear the debris.
A joint inquiry committee chaired by the Sainj Tehsildar has been constituted to investigate whether safety protocols were breached and to oversee full compensation for the affected families.
