July 24, 2023
NEW DELHI – The water level of the Yamuna river in the national capital crossed the danger mark once again on Sunday and was recorded at 206.31 metres till 4 pm.
The river crossed the danger mark following a surge in discharge from the Hathnikund Barrage into the Yamuna, increasing chances of another spell of floods in the city.
Meanwhile, announcements are being made by the administration to vacate low-lying areas.
Earlier in the morning the water level of the Yamuna river in Delhi was recorded at 205.81 metres, marginally above the danger mark of 205.33 metres.
After the heavy rainfall in parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, the water was discharged from Haryana’s Hathnikund barrage.
The city government is on high alert due to the discharge of over 2 lakh cusecs of water from the barrage into the river, said Delhi Revenue Minister Atishi on Saturday.
Due to a rise in the water level of the Hindon river in Noida, several houses were submerged in the low-lying areas on Saturday. The police reached the spot on Saturday and issued an alert regarding the situation.
“Water entered some houses in the low-lying areas…as a precautionary measure, people have been evacuated to a safer place. The situation is normal at the moment and we are monitoring the water level and spreading awareness about it,” said Sureshrao Kulkarni, Additional Commissioner of Police.
Citing the Central Water Commission, the Delhi Revenue Minister, in a statement on Saturday, said there is a possibility that the Yamuna River may cross the danger level by Sunday evening.
Atishi also announced that certain parts of Yamuna Khadar might face flooding if the water level rises to 206.7 metres. “However, the government is fully prepared to carry out immediate evacuations in these vulnerable areas,” she added.
After July 13, the Yamuna had been receding gradually after reaching an all-time high of 208.66 meters but there have been marginal fluctuations in the water level over the last two-three days.
The water level dropped below the danger mark at 8 pm on July 18 after flowing above the threshold for eight days. The river breached the danger mark at 5 pm on July 10, leading to extensive flooding of the national capital.
Due to the increase in the water level of the river, several places in Delhi grappled with water-logging and flood-like situations.