DEHRADUN: The popular tourist destination of Harsil in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district is once again under the shadow of disaster, with the rising water level of the Bhagirathi river threatening settlements, an Army camp and public infrastructure between Harsil and Dharali.
A water body formed in the stretch between Harsil and Dharali has triggered concern among nearly 2,000 residents. Officials said the situation has worsened over the past three days as the Bhagirathi swelled due to increased glacial melt.
Cracks have appeared in the protective retaining wall built last year to safeguard the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) guest house. Riverbank erosion has also intensified, bringing the river flow close to the rear side of the property.
Uttarkashi District Disaster Management Officer Jai Prakash Singh Panwar told TNIE, "The water level of the Bhagirathi is certainly rising. The retaining wall built for the safety of the GMVN guest house has suffered damage. The district magistrate will visit the affected site on Wednesday to assess the overall situation. Protection work on the damaged wall has already begun."
Officials said the threat increased on Saturday night when the river level rose sharply. The debris embankment created earlier during channelisation work has been washed away due to the force of the water.
As a result, the Bhagirathi is now flowing close to vulnerable structures. Deodar trees uprooted by erosion are being carried downstream, further adding to the risk near the Army camp.
Assistant Engineer Darban Singh Sariyal of the Irrigation Department visited the affected area with his team on Monday to review the situation and supervise immediate safety measures.
Local residents fear the present rise is only due to glacial melt and warn the situation could become far more dangerous once the monsoon intensifies and the Bhagirathi, along with its tributaries, swells further.
Former Bagori village head Bhawan Singh said the wire crates installed earlier along the riverbanks have also started getting damaged.
"Cracks have developed in the retaining wall below the GMVN guest house. If heavy rains begin, the danger will increase manifold," Singh said.
Memories of earlier devastation remain fresh in the region. A destructive flood in the Kheer Ganga buried Dharali town under debris, killing seven people, while 68 others were reported missing.
In another incident, nine soldiers went missing after the Telgad river flooded near the Harsil camp. The bodies of two of them were later recovered.
The Bhagirathi's flow had then been obstructed between Harsil and Dharali, leading to the formation of a massive water body. A large stretch of the Gangotri Highway remained submerged for nearly 18 to 20 days, snapping connectivity between Gangotri Dham and Uttarkashi.
Irrigation Department Executive Engineer Sachin Singhal, however, said the formation was not technically a lake.
"It is filled with silt. Earlier, the river flowed at a lower level, but because of silt deposition, the bed has risen by six to seven metres, making it appear like a lake. For now, channelisation work near the Army camp has been intensified," he said.