Latest news with #VaishnaviRathore
Scroll.in
25-07-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Living in the shadow of glaciers and dams: A Himalayan ticking time-bomb
Play Chungthang is a small town located at an altitude of around 5,500 feet above sea level in Sikkim. Wooden homes line its streets and prayer flags flutter in the mountain breeze. But the picturesque town is now eclipsed by an unmissable sight: a 60-metre-high hydropower dam, ripped apart at its centre. It stands as a reminder of the devastation caused by the deadly glacial lake outburst flood of 2023. A GLOF occurs when a lake formed by glacial melt suddenly collapses or overflows – triggered by events like heavy rainfall, landslides, or earthquakes. On October 3, 2023, the South Lhonak lake burst and the waters cascaded down, destroying one of India's largest hydropower projects, the 1,200 megawatt Teesta III dam at Chungthang. As the dam's debris swirled downstream in the Teesta river, the flood unleashed further destruction. At least 57 people were killed across Sikkim and West Bengal. A year and half later, the government sanctioned the rebuilding of the Teesta III dam. 'If they build the dam again, there is no future for the people of Chungthang,' said Mayalmit Lepcha, general secretary of Affected Citizens of Teesta, a Sikkim-based movement that has been resisting dam construction for nearly two decades. The Teesta is dotted with nearly 10 large hydropower projects and locals blame these dams for amplifying the 2023 flood's impact. Scroll's Vaishnavi Rathore and Kritika Pant travelled along the Teesta, meeting survivors of the 2023 flood, many of whom are still living in relief camps. In this report, supported by the Pultizer Center, they explore the question: Should India be building dams in a region vulnerable to glacial lake bursts?
Scroll.in
04-05-2025
- Scroll.in
Scroll's Vaishnavi Rathore wins Danish Siddiqui Journalism Award 2025
Scroll's Vaishnavi Rathore on Sunday won the 2025 Danish Siddiqui Journalism Award in the 'Print/Digital' category for her reportage on the Great Nicobar Island Development Project. Rathore, the first journalist to report from the ground about the contentious project's environmental and social impacts, was awarded for the 'excellence, depth, and relevance' of her work. Scroll readers crowdfunded the reporting project. The Danish Siddiqui Journalism Award honours 'journalists who embody integrity, courage, empathy, and truth'. It celebrates 'those who push boundaries and tackle challenges to deliver impactful reporting that informs, educates, and inspires change'. 'By recognizing these storytellers, we uphold Danish Siddiqui's legacy of fearless journalism, inspiring and guiding future generations with his commitment to excellence,' the award website states. Siddiqui was a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist and the chief of Reuters Pictures multimedia team in India. He covered many important events in Asia, West Asia and Europe, including the Rohingya refugee crisis – for which he received the Pulitzer along with two colleagues – the Hong Kong protests and the living conditions of asylum seekers in Switzerland. Siddiqui was killed while covering a clash between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters near a border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan in July 2021. He was covering the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan for Reuters.
