The Lepcha community’s bid to protect Sikkim’s rivers

The Dzongu region lies on the outskirts of the Kanchenjunga National Park, in the North district of Sikkim. The region is home to the Lepcha tribal community. The river Teesta and many of its tributaries run through upper and lower Dzongu. However, climate change, combined with the construction of hydropower plants in the last two decades, has disturbed the delicate ecology of the region.

Landslides and flash floods have increased considerably. In 2016, a major landslide disrupted the lives of the Lepcha people, and 16 villages in the upper Dzongu region were completely cut off from the rest of Sikkim. Nine years later, these villages are connected to the rest of the region only through a temporary bridge that floods during monsoon. Built by the locals, this bridge is frequently used by the Indian army; despite this, the government has not found a permanent solution for it. In 2024, a cloudburst in the area led to massive floods and many villages were submerged, leading to loss of property and livestock.  

These calamities are exacerbated by hydropower projects. In 2009, to protest against the Teesta 3 Hydroelectric Power Project, people from the community went on a hunger strike. However, the project was not stopped. Court cases were also filed, but to no avail. In 2023, the dam built under this project was washed away in a massive glacial flood, displacing over tens of thousands of people and killing 55. And yet, the dam is now being reconstructed without public consultation. 

This disturbance also threatens the culture of the Lepcha community. Indigenous to Sikkim, the Lepcha people have rituals closely associated with the river and forests of the region. In Lepcha tradition, it is believed that when someone dies, their soul needs to travel back to the foothills of the Kanchenjunga mountain. The soul reaches the foothills through the Rongyong river, a tributary of the Teesta. A priest walks the soul to the bank of the river. The ecology is seen as an extension of the community. Once a year, a male member of the family goes to the forest with offerings of fermented millets, rice, fruits, and live chicken. Being traditional hunters, the Lepcha people believe that it is important to thank the forest for all it has provided them. 

Over the years, many pharmaceutical companies have built their factories along the banks of the Teesta, which has led to the pollution of the river. People in the region are turning to tourism as an alternative livelihood option, in order to avoid selling their land to hydropower plants or pharmaceutical companies. The youth is now moving to urban areas in search of better opportunities. 

The Lepcha community has been advocating for the Dzongu region to be declared a riverine sanctuary so that some of these developments can be halted. But without the support of the government, the region’s delicate ecology will continue to deteriorate.  

Mayalmit Lepcha is an activist and the president of Sikkim Lepcha Indigenous Tribal Association.

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