Uttarakhand: Water level receding in temporary lake formed after Dharali flash floods

Dehradun, Aug 17 (PTI) The water level in the temporary lake formed in Harsil, Uttarkashi district, has come down after teams from National Disaster Response Force and other agencies successfully punctured it, an official statement said on Sunday.

According to officials, a local stream named Telgad in Harshil near the Army camp became active during the August 5 flash floods, which nearly wiped out Dharali village.

A large amount of water and debris came down. They accumulated in the stream at its point of confluence with the Bhagirathi River and formed a large fan-shaped deposit (alluvial fan) of sediments.

This fan obstructed the original channel of the river and formed a temporary lake on the right bank of the Bhagirathi.

The official statement mentioned that the sand has started to appear in the middle of the temporary lake, which shows that the water level of the lake is decreasing.

The temporary lake, about 15 feet deep, had been a challenge for the administration for about 10 days, as it threatened settlements downstream.

Given the danger, experts and personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL), the Irrigation Department, and many other agencies dug a canal to drain the water from the lake in a controlled manner. PTI DPT AMJ AMJ