Viewpoints · Rangpo
The Teesta at Rangpo after the 2023 flood
Look out over the meeting of the Rangpo Chu and the Teesta, the border between West Bengal and Sikkim, and see how the October 2023 glacial flood reshaped the river. A short, sobering stop that explains why NH10 is so often closed.
From the bridges and the road above the river at Rangpo you can see the Rangpo Chu entering the Teesta, and the wide, grey bed of the bigger river running south towards Melli and the plains. Before October 2023 this was a narrower, greener scene. On the night of 3–4 October that year, a glacial lake outburst from South Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim sent a wall of water and debris down the Teesta. It breached the Chungthang dam, swept away bridges and houses upstream, and reached Rangpo within hours.
In Rangpo, low-lying areas near the river were flooded and buried under silt, and NH10 was damaged above and below the town. Many lives were lost across Sikkim and the Teesta valley, including soldiers at an army camp near Singtam. The raised riverbed, silt flats and rebuilt road sections you see today are the result. Each monsoon since, fresh landslides and erosion have cut the highway again.
Look from the road or bridge only. Do not walk onto silt flats or undercut banks, which can collapse, and keep away from the water, which can rise fast after rain upstream. Be respectful when photographing damaged homes; families still live with the loss. It is worth a few minutes on the way through, because it makes plain why every guide to Sikkim now says to check the road before you travel.
Cost: Free
Questions people ask
Good to know
Was Rangpo affected by the 2023 Teesta flood?
Yes. The glacial lake outburst flood of 3–4 October 2023 flooded low-lying parts of Rangpo near the Teesta, left thick deposits of silt and damaged NH10 above and below the town. Repairs have continued since, and monsoon landslides have cut the highway again in later years.
What caused the October 2023 flood in Sikkim?
A glacial lake outburst from South Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, on the night of 3–4 October 2023, released a huge volume of water into the Teesta. The surge breached the Chungthang dam and caused severe damage and loss of life down the valley through Dikchu, Singtam and Rangpo.
Is it safe to visit the river at Rangpo?
Look from roads and bridges only. Silt flats and undercut banks can give way, and the Teesta can rise quickly after rain upstream, especially from June to September. Never walk on the riverbed or swim, and keep children well back from the edge.
