Water level in artificial lake in Uttarakhand's Syanachatti recedes by 5-6 feet

Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand), Aug 22 (PTI) Water level in the artificial lake that has formed in Syanachatti of Uttarkashi district has decreased by about five to six feet, officials said on Friday.

They said that the blockage in the river took place on Thursday evening, after boulders fell from the hills into town, obstructing the flow of the Yamuna river. Efforts are being made to release the blocked water, officials added.

State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Public Works Department, Irrigation Department and other agencies are present at the spot.

According to the operations center, water is continuously draining out from the lake and till now its water level has decreased by five-six feet. However, debris is still continuously flowing from the rain drain.

A team of Central Water Commission is also present in Syanachatti and is monitoring the water level of Yamuna.

According to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) in Dehradun, the artificial lake has already flooded houses, hotels and other buildings in the town, which is located on the way to Yamunotri —  a part of the revered Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage in Uttarakhand.

Further, the bridge in the town is nearly completely submerged in the water, affecting vehicular movement.

According to the SEOC, there are over 40 houses and hotels in the area, and about 300 people have been shifted to safer places.

Meanwhile, locals stood in the shallow water of the lake and staged a protest, raising slogans against the government.

They alleged that on June 29 also, a lake was formed due to the debris and if the debris had been removed then, then this situation would not have arisen now.

State Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said that various teams are engaged in channelising the water, but they are facing challenges.

Other options are also being considered by the relief and rescue teams, Suman added.

He appealed to the locals to maintain patience and not pay attention to any kind of rumour.

Meanwhile, District Magistrate Prashant Arya, who was present on the spot, appealed to the people of Syanachatti not to panic and said that the water of the lake will be drained out soon.

He said that all safety measures are being taken by the administration for the people. Drones are monitoring the entire area while teams from the Health, Revenue and Food Supply departments are engaged in relief efforts.

Yamunatri MLA Sanjay Doval and Uttarkashi District Panchayat President Ramesh Chauhan also reached among the local people.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed the disaster management secretary to take necessary steps for the drainage of water from the lake.

Dhami has also directed to ensure the availability of food, LPG, medicines, fuel and other essential commodities for the affected people in the area. PTI DPT NB