Mussoorie, Aug. 29 -- The channelisation work to drain water from the artificial lake, which was formed after debris from the Gadh Gad (Kupra Khad) stream caused a blockage on August 21 in Syana Chatti, continued in Uttarkashi district on Thursday, officials said. On August 21, debris from the Gadh Gad stream caused a partial blockage in the Yamuna river at Syana Chatti in Barkot tehsil. This obstruction significantly slowed the river's flow, leading to the formation of a temporary artificial lake. "The water level is now reportedly three feet below the bridge at Syana Chatti, and a continuous discharge of water from the lake is underway and initially, the water flow from the Yamuna river had been causing erosion on the left embankment of the bridge's abutment, but this issue has been addressed by removing the debris with a Poclain excavator, thereby protecting the structure from further damage," said the duty officer, District Emergency Operation Centre, Uttarkashi. Gopal Rana, resident of Syana Chatti , said: "Although the water level has gone down below the bridge but the huge volume of debris and boulders still pose a threat of re-formation of the lake due to continuous debris coming down from the stream with each spell of rain." Syanachatti is a key transit point on the Yamunotri highway, and the Yamunotri Yatra cannot restart until the water is drained out from the artificial lake as soon as possible, said the residents in one voice. Pani Lal, executive engineer of the irrigation department, said: "The heavy machinery, including excavators and poclain machines, has been deployed to try and create a channel to release the water and remove debris." He said over 300 residents have been evacuated to safer locations after the formation of an artificial lake on 21 August, and the teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local police teams are deployed to provide relief to the residents. The Central Water Commission (CWC) and district administration continuously monitored the water level using on-ground teams and drone surveillance. Shardul Gusain, Uttarkashi district disaster management officer, said: "Following the directives of district magistrate Prashant Arya, administrative teams are working on a war footing at Syana Chatti to clear the artificial lake and remove silt from the Yamuna river with efforts focused on the channelisation of the river at the blocked site and debris is being cleared from a 15-metre-long and 3-meter-wide section of the river with the help of three Poclain machines and one JCB machine deployed at the site."...