Yamuna water level in Delhi rises, three metres above danger mark

Continued rainfall in the upper catchment areas and saturated soil due to heavy precipitation in Delhi and nearby regions over the weekend have contributed to the sharp rise in water levels. The rapid rise in water level prompted the Delhi Police to ban gatherings in flood-prone areas.

There are two major barrages on the Yamuna — Dakpathar in Uttarakhand and Hathnikund in Haryana, upstream of Delhi. There are no dams on the river and, therefore, most of the monsoon flow remains unutilised, resulting in floods during the season.

The water flow from the Haryana barrage is expected to start dropping from 2 pm onwards today but the India Meteorological Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall to continue in Uttarakhand in the next two days, exacerbating the flooding risk.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, following an emergency meeting yesterday, urged residents in low-lying areas to evacuate. So far, over 16,500 people living in low-lying areas have been shifted to safer places at higher altitudes and embankments are being constructed in the low-lying areas to prevent the entry of floodwater into other parts of the national capital in case the Yamuna’s water level rises further.

Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena will chair a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority today. As many as 12 teams of the National Disaster Response Force are on the ground for rescue work.

Due to the inundation of low lying areas, traffic movement at Mahatma Gandhi Marg between IP Flyover and Chandgi Ram Akhara, Mahatma Gandhi Marg between Kalighat Mandir and Delhi Secretariat and Outer Ring Road between Wazirabad Bridge and Chandgi Ram Akhara has been affected.