ACT’s ‘Teesta Matters to Me’ foot march reaches Rangpo on Day 2
The four-day foot march by the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) reached Rangpo on its second day, as participants continue a nearly 80 km walk to Triveni.
The Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) has taken its four-day foot march forward, reaching Rangpo on the second day on Saturday. The march is held under the theme ‘Teesta Matters to Me’, and is aimed at drawing attention to the condition of the Teesta River and the communities that rely on it.
The walk began on Friday from Phidang in Dzongu, North Sikkim, following a traditional Lepcha ritual. Participants are continuing on foot through river site settlements including Dikchu, Singtam, Rangpo and Melli as they move toward Triveni, where the Teesta and Rangeet rivers meet near Melli in West Bengal.
Demand focuses on hydropower and river protection
ACT says the march marks 19 years of its movement to protect the Teesta. The group’s demands include scrapping proposed hydropower projects in Sikkim and allowing the Teesta to flow naturally. ACT members also link their campaign to recent events connected to large hydropower works, including a tunnel incident at the NHPC Teesta Stage-VI project in Namchi District and wider environmental concerns raised by the organisation.
The group alleges that hydropower projects have contributed to issues such as land subsidence and soil erosion, along with ecological damage and greater disaster risk along state highways. ACT general secretary Gyatso Lepcha said the campaign is not limited to a single group, and urged support from citizens within Sikkim as well as others who care about the river.
Marchers to continue to Triveni; supporters expected to join
ACT said that when the march reaches Triveni, it will be joined by Teesta-affected citizens from West Bengal, environmental organisations, nature lovers, activists and Lepcha groups from Kalimpong. On the last day, the organisers plan a traditional ritual ceremony for the well-being of the river and the people dependent on it.
Meanwhile, ACT member Mayalmit Lepcha said the march is for future generations, stressing that the Teesta is a transboundary river flowing from Sikkim through West Bengal and into Bangladesh. The group includes 19 participants from different backgrounds, with the youngest being 16-year-old and the oldest being 67-year-old environmentalist Usha Lachungpa. Even with knee problems, participant Amit Tamang is walking the full route, and members are carrying their own medicines for emergencies.
ACT also stated that it will shortly submit a memorandum to the Governor and Chief Minister of Sikkim, requesting the scrapping of proposed hydropower projects and stronger protection for the Teesta River.
