Flood woes in the Delhi-NCR deepened on Thursday as the water level of the Yamuna at the Old Railway Bridge touched 207.48 metres at 7 am, following heavy discharge from the Hathnikund barrage. Floodwaters from the swelling river have submerged low-lying areas, disrupting normal life and traffic movement in parts of the capital and adjoining regions.
According to official data, the level remained steady between 6 am and 7 am at 207.48 metres. While the level at 5 am stood at 207.47 metres, it stood at 207.48 metres at 6 am. According to officials, the water level remained static at 207.47 metres between 2 am and 5 am.
Floodwaters reached near Delhi Secretariat
Floodwaters have reached close to the Delhi Secretariat, which houses the Chief Minister’s office, cabinet ministers, and top bureaucrats. Floodwater has seeped through a weakened wall in front of the Secretariat, with half of it already collapsed. Officials fear that if the remaining portion gives way, water could enter the Secretariat premises.
Authorities have placed sandbags and deployed pumps to drain the water, but the process has become futile, as water pumped out is flowing back from Hathi Ghat onto the road. Despite continuous efforts since last night, Yamuna’s rising waters show no sign of retreat.
Water has also flooded Vasudev Ghat and reached the Shri Marghat Wale Hanuman Baba Mandir near Kashmere Gate. Homes in the nearby areas were submerged, shop goods were destroyed, and traffic was disrupted in several areas in the city, impacting the daily lives of thousands of people.
People moved to tents
The Old Railway Bridge serves as a key observation point for tracking the river’s flow and potential flood risks. According to the revenue department, while 8,018 people have been moved to tents, 2,030 have been shifted to 13 permanent shelters.
The government has stressed that there is no need to panic and it is keeping a round the clock vigil on the situation.
All 13 regulator drains in the city were closed to avoid any backflow of water from the Yamuna as the water level in the river is high and reaching a critical point, a government official told PTI.
Carrying their belongings on their heads, people waded through neck-deep water to move to safer locations. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, and fire department have been roped in to carry out the rescue work.
In 2023, when Delhi witnessed severe flooding, the Yamuna’s water level rose to 208.66 metres. The other highest ever was in 1978, when the river touched the 207.49 metre mark. In 2010, the river’s level rose to 207.11 metres, and in 2013 to 207.32 metres.
Incessant rain wreak havoc in Delhi
Delhi has been reeling under continuous rain since Monday. Normal life has been disrupted in the national capital due to waterlogging and traffic snarls. By Wednesday afternoon, the water level of the Yamuna River had risen above the danger mark.
Due to above-normal rainfall, a flood-like situation has emerged in the Yamuna river's floodplain areas. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for more rain in the capital.
Delhi authorities have advised people living in the floodplain areas of the Yamuna River to move to safer locations. However, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has assured that despite the rising water level of the Yamuna River, the national capital is not in danger.
(With PTI inputs)
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