The District Level Monitoring Committee (DLMC), led by Additional District Collector (HQ), Mr Sabindra Rai, conducted its bimonthly inspection of GI Hydro Private Limited at Rongli on Thursday.

The inspection team included Prakriti Pradhan, Joint Director of the Mines and Geology Department; SK Pradhan, SDM Rongli; SP Bhutia, DFO (T); TR Chettri, DPO Pakyong; Abi Hang Subba, OIC of Rhenock Fire Station; along with officials from the Power, Forest, and Water Resources departments.

The committee assessed the safety mechanisms and operational systems at the hydropower facility to ensure efficiency and compliance with safety standards. During the visit, members inspected the plant and dam site, reviewed fire protection systems, rescue procedures, and the functionality of machinery. They also checked protocols for sounding sirens in the event of rising water levels.

The DLMC reviewed actions taken following observations from the previous inspection. The committee emphasised the importance of training response teams, conducting regular practice drills for the raft rescue team, and maintaining proper rescue equipment, including rafts and motorised speed boats.

GI Hydro Private Limited was also directed to provide data and reports on seismic monitoring and technical assessments to evaluate earthquake-related risks at the site. Rai underlined the need for strict adherence to machinery operational processes and effective implementation of safety measures.

Prior to the inspection, Plant Head Sanjiv Tripathi briefed the committee on the site’s technical aspects, machinery, structure, and operational mechanisms. At the dam site, the emergency response team conducted a mock drill demonstrating rescue operations and evacuation procedures to the nearest Primary Health Centre in case of an incident in the river.