About the Teesta
The Teesta is Sikkim's lifeline — a beautiful, turbulent river that descends from the high glacial lakes of North Sikkim through cloud forest and subtropical jungle before joining the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh. The river's extraordinary gradient, dropping over 5000 metres in less than 400 kilometres, makes it one of India's premier white-water rafting rivers, with several Grade IV and V rapids near Rangpo and Melli. The Teesta valley is also one of India's most significant migration corridors for birds moving between the Himalayan forests and the Bengal plains.
The Teesta is at the centre of a major environmental controversy — multiple proposed hydroelectric dams on the river and its tributaries have pitted electricity generation against the river's extraordinary ecological value. The river's forest catchment in Sikkim and north Bengal includes the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve and several wildlife sanctuaries, and the high Himalayan streams above 3000 metres support rare snow trout and golden mahseer. A transboundary water-sharing dispute between India and Bangladesh over Teesta flows remains unresolved.
Rangit · Rangpo Chu · Lachung Chu