Voices of the River Teesta

KPFA - Terra Verde

In October, the Teesta III dam in Northeast India was destroyed when torrential rains caused an upstream glacial lake to overflow and burst. Indigenous activists in the region have protested against the Teesta III and other major hydropower projects for decades, warning of the catastrophic impacts that dams, railway tunnels, and industry activities have on the fragile and sacred ecosystem that is especially prone to seismic activity, landslides, and climate change-related events.

On this episode of Terra Verde, Mayalmit Lepcha and Minket Lepcha join host Fiona McLeod, to discuss how they have worked to protect their ancestral homelands in Sikkim and Darjeeling, and to advocate for indigenous communities most impacted by disasters like the Teesta III dam break. They share important insights about how the tragedy in Northeast India offers important lessons that decision-makers, community members, and individuals around the world can learn from.

To learn more about Minket Lepcha and her film, Voices of Teesta, click here: https://talkingrivers.org/minket-lepcha.

To learn more about Mayalmit Lepcha and her work with Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) and International Rivers, click here: https://www.internationalrivers.org/news/women-river-defender-highlight-marmit-lepcha/

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