One of the most severe and enduring consequences of the GLOF was the widespread destruction of infrastructure—especially communication networks and bridges—across Sikkim and North Bengal. In total, around 14 major bridges were washed away, while National Highway 10 suffered extensive damage at numerous points, severely disrupting connectivity throughout the region. Hydropower infrastructure was also hit hard. The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation and other operators reported significant losses. Most notably, the 1200 MW Teesta Urja dam at Chungthang—one of the largest in the region—was completely swept away by the GLOF on 4 October 2023. Several other dams along the Teesta basin sustained serious structural damage, underscoring the scale of the disaster. In the months that followed, SaveTheHills conducted a comprehensive survey across many of the affected areas. Detailed findings and photographic documentation from these field visits have been compiled and shared in our blog (https://savethehills.blogspot.com). In this image you can see the damage at the NHPC Stage V dam at Dikchu by the GLOF after it was over toppled by the it.

What is astonishing is the sheer, raw power of nature. In less than five hours, the GLOF thundered down the valley from 17,500 feet to near sea level—an almost unimaginable descent in both speed and force. Described by leading scientists as the largest GLOF in the Himalayas, it ripped through mountainsides, scouring them bare, carrying millions of tons of debris, and obliterating entire forests within hours. Here, near IBM in Rangpo, Sikkim, a once-thriving marketplace was transformed into a vast expanse of sand and debris with heavy construction equipment strewn around like toys— it stretched across what felt like several football fields, all buried under nearly ten feet of silt. And just as swiftly as it arrived, the river receded, leaving behind this stark, silent aftermath. I photographed this scene roughly 36 hours after the GLOF.

Graveyard of vehicles at Singtam. I took this image months after Oct2023 when salvage operations along the river bank unearthed scores of vehicles which the GLOF had swept away. Besides this, from time to time explosives which the flood waters carried away from army ammunition dumps in North Sikkim are discovered down stream.

A stark portrait of the devastation at Chungthang, North Sikkim: hollowed-out houses, with rocks and boulders strewn across the town. We were able to reach Chungthang only on 17 November 2023, after road access was restored and damaged bridges reconnected the town to the rest of the state. Even a month after the GLOF, an eerie desolation lingered—broken only by the relentless clanking and groaning of heavy earthmovers as they worked to clear the debris.

Rangpo, in Sikkim is the 2nd major population centre which was impacted severely by the GLOF in the early hours of 04Oct2023. An entire shanty town called IBM in the low lying parts of the town vanished under a 10 foot blanket of gooey sludge and debris. People died here, even though most managed to clamber to safety on higher ground in the dead of night. When we reached Rangpo in the early morning of 06Oct2023, people were still in shock – many residents of IBM were trying to locate where their homes were under a giant football field of sludge and debris. Others were holed up in relief camps or being fed by volunteers cooking in the open. The river though still violent and swift had receded and flowed far from the main town. Months later, despite a huge clean-up effort by the Government and locals alike, much needs to be done. The image shows two buildings in IBM, Rangpo being extricated out of the debris which covered one floor of the buildings.

IBM colony in Rangpo in Mar2025. The vacant area at the centre of the picture is where IBM colony was, prior to being covered by 10 feet of debris and sand by the GLOF. In Mar 2025, when we visited the area, much of the sand had been removed and the green and red buildings seen the previous slide had cars parked in front of them (see the top left of the vacant ground). The Teesta river can be seen far away towards the left of the photo.

National Highway 10 (NH10) is an arterial route linking the plains of Siliguri with the Himalayan regions of Sikkim and Kalimpong district. Running along the Teesta River, it underpins tourism, trade, and daily livelihoods across the Teesta valley. The Oct 2023 Teesta valley flash floods, triggered by a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), unleashed a sudden, high-velocity surge of water laden with sediment and large boulders. This extreme flow washed away multiple segments of NH10, eroded embankments and damaged several bridges and culverts. In addition, many vehicles were swept away, buried, or severely damaged, disrupting transport services and supply chains. The image taken near Melli, starkly illustrates how the GLOF damaged critical communication lines and crippled the local transportation sector, directly affecting drivers, tour operators, and small businesses whose livelihoods depend on the uninterrupted functioning of NH10.

The first major population centre impacted by the Teesta Valley GLOF on 4 October 2023 was Singtam, a key commercial hub for the state. As the floodwaters surged downstream close to midnight, many residents scrambled to higher ground after receiving warnings from upstream communities and alerts issued by the Sikkim Police—actions that played a crucial role in saving lives. Despite these efforts, the destruction was severe. A major bridge in Singtam was swept away, and low-lying areas such as Goli Tar and Lal Bazar were extensively damaged by the sudden influx of water, debris, and sediment. The disaster also had a tragic impact on the military: 23 soldiers lost their lives when an army convoy parked along the riverbank was overwhelmed by the powerful floodwave. This image shows ongoing salvage operations on 06Oct2023 by the Indian Army at Bardang, near Singtam highlighting the scale of destruction and the challenges faced in the aftermath of the GLOF.

A defining feature of the GLOF’s impact was the speed and scale at which it transformed the landscape—within just a few hours, everything in its path was buried under a 10–15 foot blanket of sand and debris, before the Teesta River eventually receded. What you see here reflects the sheer magnitude of what unfolded along the Teesta valley: vast amounts of sand and debris, scoured from the upper reaches by the flood, were rapidly deposited downstream as the river lost momentum in the lower stretches. In the aftermath, politicians and outsiders often questioned why local communities had built their homes so close to the river. But the residents would insist that their homes had once stood at a safe distance—it was the river that had shifted course and come closer. Having witnessed numerous affected areas along the valley, I find their account entirely credible.

Livelihoods shattered twice in as many years. At Teesta Bazar in Kalimpong district, two young men had built a modest two-wheeler repair shop through years of hard work. On 4 October 2023, a GLOF inundated the area, burying their shop under sand and debris so completely that even the ceiling fans were twisted out of shape. With grit and determination, they painstakingly cleared the wreckage and revived their business. But fate dealt another blow. During subsequent heavy rains, the Teesta River overflowed its banks, once again engulfing their shop and the vehicles they were repairing under layers of debris. Undeterred, they have cleared the sand yet again and reopened—defying the river with quiet resilience.

A low lying area which was suddenly engulfed by the GLOF on 04Oct2023 was Geil khola (Kalimpong district, W Bengal). The photograph shows the thickness of the sludge which the GLOF brought in and deposited overnight all along the Teesta valley. Also seen are the half buried homes which lie buried even two years later. Explosives which were swept away from an ammunition dump in North Sikkim are still found at places, buried under the thick blanket of sand and debris.

We met Simran (25) at a relief centre in Krishnagram, Teesta Bazaar (Kalimpong, West Bengal) on 21 October 2023. She, along with her family of five, had been forced to abandon their home after the GLOF and take shelter in a community hall that had been converted into a relief camp, shared with three other displaced families. Even then, the sense of uncertainty was hard to miss. The Teesta River was steadily eroding the base of the hill on which the building stood, raising serious concerns about the safety of the relief centre itself. What was meant to be a refuge felt increasingly fragile. In time, those fears proved valid. The relief centre has since been dismantled, and the entire area is now considered unstable—a sinking zone. We’ve documented the story of Krishnagram, also known as Bhasuwa, in greater detail in our blog (http://savethehills.blogspot.com/2024/07/impact-of-teesta-valley-glof-photo.html),

This is Sunayana, in her Puja (Prayer) room of her home at Teesta Bazar on 25Oct2023. She bitterly stated that the floods had not even spared her deity. She recollected being woken up at around 4 am on 04Oct2023 by her daughter and seeing a wall of water crashing down the Teesta valley accompanied by the eerie sight of vehicles with headlights still shining, bobbing up and down while being swept away like toys. Sunayana and her family abandoned their home, fleeing uphill into the darkness. As we spoke, the sound of the Teesta River lapping at the edges of her basement served as a haunting reminder of the disaster's ongoing impact.

Andheri (W Bengal, India) is a small roadside hamlet on the banks of the Teesta river, close to Rangpo town. On the 04Oct2023, the GLOF hit this village at around 4.00am and dumped almost 10-15 feet of sand and debris on this village. In this image, a student lazily browses thru his cell phone while sitting on a massive tree trunk which the GLOF brought down to his home. His home was badly damaged by the floods and their TV/ refrigerator/ other domestic tools lay around covered in sand and soil - the whole area was littered with tree trunks and sand.

The GLOF struck suddenly, catching many off guard at the end of the monsoon season. People fled their homes in the dead of night, often with just the clothes they were wearing. The disaster claimed more than just homes; it took away crucial documents, including identity papers, land records, and financial files. In Chungthang (N Sikkim, India), I came across two college students who had no ID papers at all – all their documentation had vanished along with their home in the GLOF. Here, I photographed a man at Rangpo on 06Oct2023 going thru his AADHAR card, a paper which serves as proof of identity and address for Indian residents.

The Teesta GLOF disaster of 04Oct2023, demonstrated that nature knows no borders or boundaries. The disaster swept through Sikkim, West Bengal, and eventually Bangladesh, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The GLOF's impact was felt across different communities and faiths. This photo of 29Oct2023 shows: - A Hindu temple in Singtam, Sikkim, with debris being excavated by a bulldozer, while anxious devotees wait outside

Meet TIKA KARKI of Krishnagram, Teesta Bazar, Kalimpong I first met Tika and his family almost two years ago soon after the GLOF of Oct2023. I have a photo of his wife in her kitchen which showed signs of instability even then and talked with his daughter, a college student and his son – a budding musician. Since then things have only turned bad to worse for Tika and rapidly so. I took this image of Tika in front of his home fairly recently and it shows his home nearly toppling over into the Teesta river. He has, of course closed his motor cycle repair shop and moved to a rented home elsewhere in Teesta bazar. He only has a small tyre repair shop now but still can smile and talk of his misfortune. I have intentionally placed Tika’s story at the end of this photo essay to showcase an exceptional tale of bravery and resilience.