Artificial lake floods village in Uttarkashi

Hindustan Times

6 hours ago

Heavy rain triggered fresh landslides in Uttarkashi on Thursday, this time in Syanachatti, with boulders tumbling into the village from the hills, cutting off the Yamuna and creating an artificial lake that inundated large swathes of the hamlet. Inundation at a tourist resthouse in Syanachatti. (HT PHOTO)
All houses and hotels were evacuated and residents asked to move to higher ground, with authorities wary after the tragedy in Dharali, also in Uttarkashi district, two weeks ago that left dozens missing. Just two bodies have been found so far.
'The situation in Syanachatti prompted the administration to issue a red alert. All houses and hotels in Syanachatti have been evacuated and residents along the Yamuna riverbanks have been asked to move to safer locations,' said Shardul Gusain, district disaster management officer of Uttarkashi.
Officials sais that the water level and swampy conditions have made it difficult to start channelisation work. Syanachatti has a population of about 300 people and it is around 22 km from Yamunotri Dham.
Residents reported that boulders and debris slid into the river along the Kukra Khad gorge damming its flow and pushing water into the pilgrim town.
The rising water even reached the motor bridge on the Yamunotri National Highway, triggering fears of a traffic disruption and prompting the authorities to expedite evacuations. The motor bridge is a key link to Yamunotri Dham and damage to it could effectively maroon residents.
Authorities have stepped up vigilance in Syanachatti and nearby areas including Kuthanor, Kisala, Kharadi, Gangnani, Rajastra, Paunti Pul, Bagasu and Mugra bridge.
Brijesh Kumar Tiwari, sub-divisional magistrate of Barkot, said teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were on standby.
'The irrigation department has been tasked with channelising the Yamuna's flow, but operations with large earthmovers are difficult due to high water levels. More than 50 people, including Nepali workers, have been shifted to safer places. No pilgrims are staying in hotels or homestays,' he said.
Shailendra Singh, a local hotelier said, 'The ground floor of my hotel has completely submerged and I have shifted my family along with other 150 people to another hotel that is upstream on the Yamunotri highway.''
The fresh crisis comes days after flash floods near Harsil created another temporary lake on the Bhagirathi when debris from the Telgad stream blocked its flow, highlighting the growing vulnerability of the region to extreme weather events.