Yamuna water level below danger mark, Delhi government keeps eye on situation

The Yamuna, for the first time since Monday, flowed below the danger mark of 205.33 metres. The water level receded to 204.73 metres at 1pm on Thursday, after hitting a high of 206.60 metres on Wednesday.

The water level is expected to recede further and go below the 204 metre mark by Friday morning, officials of the irrigation and flood department said.

By 7pm on Thursday, the water level had come down to 204.65 metres.

“The volume of water being released from the Hathnikund barrage has been reduced to around 10,000 -15,000 cusecs per hour over the past two days and hence the water level is receding here. The water level has been steady since the wee hours. As per the forecast received, the water level is expected to recede further from Thursday night onwards,” said a senior officer from the flood control department.

Haryana had been releasing huge volumes of water from the Hathnikund barrage, which coupled with rainfall in hilly regions, led to a surge in the Yamuna. Haryana had released more than eight lakh cusecs of water on Sunday between 6pm and 7pm, which had reached Delhi on Wednesday. It takes about 36 to 72 hours for the released water to reach Delhi.

According to officials, though the water level have receded, residents who were evacuated from Yamuna’s floodplains and low lying areas are expected to stay in the makeshift government camps for the next two days at least, till the situation normalises.

“The evacuation process is over and relief operations are ongoing. Our teams are distributing food and other amenities, along with medical care. We hope to shift the flood-affected families back by Sunday, if the situation stabilises by then,” said Sanjeev Kumar, SDM Preet Vihar (East) and nodal officer for the relief and rescue operations.

“The floodplains are still wet and it will take a while to dry out and for people to return to their homes. Also, the floods bring a lot of waste, which is deposited on the plains and needs to be cleared,” he said.

The water level of Yamuna reached its highest level so far — 206.60 metres — on Wednesday morning did not drop till 2 pm the same day. The swelling river started receding late on Wednesday afternoon and flowed at 206.21 metres at 8pm.

Till Wednesday, more than 24,000 people had been evacuated from the floodplains, out of which 21,300 were shifted to relief camps. More than 1,200 tents were pitched across 53 locations in the city.

The Delhi government had earlier said the Yamuna water level could touch the 207 metres mark, a situation last encountered during the 2013 flood.

While traffic movement on the Old Railway Bridge resumed on Wednesday, the Tibetan monastery market remained closed on Thursday.

“We will open the market depending on the water level on Friday,” said a senior official from the central district.

ends

First Published: Aug 22, 2019 21:23 IST