Lachen River

The river Lachen is no more than a narrow hill stream in the Northern extremes of the state of Sikkim, in India. It is also a major tributary of River Teesta, the most important river in Sikkim along with River Rangeet. It is at an elevation of 9022 feet (2750 m) and is famous for the vast orchards of apple and scenic beauty. The plantations and the ethereal alpine valleys make Lachen an out of the world experience.

Being on the Northern boundaries of Sikkim, Lachen is close to the higher reaches of the Himalayas and acts as the commencing spot for a number of high altitude treks. The base camps of these treks are placed here before setting out for the mountains.

In order to visit Gurudongmar Lake, Green Lake and Chopta Valley one must pass through Lachen. Tsho Lhamu which is at a high altitude in Tibetan Plateau can also be reached through Lachen. To experience the magnificent beauty of the Gurudongmar Lake in the lap of the Himalayas, it is advisable to spend the previous night in Lachen and start right before dawn.

The village of Lachen is situated on a verdant land full of shrubbery and flowers. It is a lush settlement amidst the snow capped mountains lined with ancient and tall pine trees. It houses a mere number of 150 families who migrate to lower altitudes during the winters.

The River Lachen is a snow fed river and hence perennial. It gets its maximum water supply from the melting of snow in the mountains of the East Himalayan range. Hence the river has more water in the summers. Also the water accumulated in the catchment areas also adds to the water volume. However it flows in the form of a lean rivulet in the winter season, when the rainfall is low.

The bed of the river at such high altitudes is very rocky and thus not navigable. During the monsoon spell, the river is inflated and flows in full capacity. At this time of the year it turns treacherous. Floods may occur too when rains hard and flash floods are also common.

 Course

The Lachen River has its origin in the Himalayas and flows down all along the road to Gurudongmar Lake. Later it meets with another small stream named Lachung River and forms the River Teesta. The place of confluence is at the town of Chungthang off the North Sikkim Highway. The surrounding area of the course of River Lachen is of a harsh and craggy topography. The neighboring mountain peaks on an average reach the heights of 4000m (13,123 feet).It has a growth of dense vegetation and houses a rich mixture of species of fauna and flora. Many rare animals are also found here.

The river mainly flows in a South-eastern route. Though the basin of the river is rocky, the slopes of the adjacent mountains have terrace cultivations. Since the mountains seldom have plains lands, these terrace cultivations are a great source of food and farming.

Tributaries

Lachen River Along With Lachung River is two major tributaries of River Teesta. Lachen River has no major tributaries. Small brooks unite with it on its course towards Chungthang but they are not worth mentioning. The focal importance of Lachen River is that it houses a key Hydro-electric power plant near village Bonsoi, in Sikkim.

Lachen Hydroelectric Project situated near the village of Bonsoi, in North Sikkim has the sole purpose of utilizing the flowing energy of the waters of the river to generate electricity. A number of Dams are constructed across the river for this purpose. The generating power at installation is 210 MW.

The Lachen Hydro Electric Project caters to the rising demand for power in the Eastern expanse. The annual energy requirement of this region expands at the rate of 10% per year. The towns and villages in the Northern reaches of Sikkim have scarcity of power. The rugged terrain makes the life of the inhabitants difficult and numerous places go without electricity. Therefore this power project is of great help to the natives of Sikkim. A part of the power generated in this Project is distributed in Sikkim and the excess is engaged in the Eastern Power Grid.

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