Forces manually drain out temporary lake in Harsil

DEHRADUN: Teams from National Disaster Response Force , armed forces and state agencies worked to manually drain a temporary lake near the Army camp in Harsil, Uttarkashi district , on Tuesday to prevent possible flooding in downstream villages. The lake had formed last week after a cloudburst-triggered landslide blocked the Bhagirathi river near Dharali, creating a natural dam that authorities feared could breach amid heavy rain.

Two NDRF boats fitted with outboard motors reached Harsil Tuesday. "Once we receive the boats, our team will physically enter the lake and find ways to manually puncture it so that water can be safely discharged," said NDRF commandant Sudesh Kumar Drall.

A temporary lake, roughly 400-500m long, formed upstream of Harsil when debris from the deluge blocked the river, raising fears of a sudden breach and further flooding. Authorities have issued warnings of more rain, heightening concern over the risk. A 10-member team of geologists has assessed the lake's stability and advised on safe drainage. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel cleared blockages to create an outlet, while the Army oversaw operations. Meanwhile, road restoration remained stalled as the submerged road and continuous rain hindered repair work.

On Monday, an outboard motor for a rescue boat was airlifted from Chinyalisaur to Dharali to assist operations, while 30 engineers and workers were deployed to the site, supported by SDRF personnel.