A bridge over the Tehri dam reservoir remained submerged for the tenth day on Thursday as the water level in the dam continued to rise, affecting at least 40,000 residents of 42 villages and several hamlets.
On Thursday, the water level in the reservoir reached 822 m, only three metres below the permissible limit up to which water can be stored in the reservoir. The Devisaur bridge being located at 815 m, nothing but the pylons were visible.
The bridge, which lies at one end of the 42 sq-km reservoir in Uttarkashi district’s Chinyalisaur region, will remain submerged till the water level in the reservoir climbs below 815 metres.
The bridge has been a cause of trouble for villagers for almost a decade now. Tehri District Magistrate Indudhar Baurai said, “Boats have been arranged by the rehabilitation department and the THDC (Tehri Hydro Development Corporation) for the people to cross the reservoir. An alternative route also exists but it increases the distance by 15 to 20 kilometres.”
While the boats ride offers a challenge to the locals due to the carrying capacity and timings of the boats, the alternative route to reach the other side of the reservoir is even more dangerous as it is marked by several landslips that are common during the monsoon season.
For almost 10 years now the submergence of the bridge during the monsoon season has become a routine for the authorities and the THDC.
Work on an alternative bridge at Chinyalisaur had begun few years ago, but the project lies stalled and there is no hope for it to finish anytime soon.