The water level of the Yamuna River in Delhi has risen above the danger mark of 205.33 meters, reaching 205.78 meters as of 11 AM this morning. According to official sources, the increase in water level is attributed to the discharge of water from the Hathinikund Barrage.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the residential area at the Yamuna Bazaar in New Delhi. Talking to the Media after her visit, Mrs Gupta said that there is no flood-like situation in the national capital and everything is under control.
By Monday night, the Yamuna had risen to 205.63 meters. The Central Water Commission (CWC) has made a prediction of a further increase, with the river already anticipated to cross the 206-meter mark at 2 AM on Tuesday. Evacuations of families living in low-lying flood zones will begin once this mark is reached, according to authorities.
One of the directly affected is Rasina Khatoon, 27, who resides in a shanty tent at Sonia Vihar. By late Monday, water had already started entering her house, and she had to pile things on top of a charpoy ready for instant relocation.
“At 3 AM today, we woke up to the gushing of water into our house,” Khatoon reminisced, reflecting on the yearly struggle of riverside dwellers. “We were able to salvage a few things, but the majority of our vegetables and other articles were washed away. It is the same every year.”
The swift and sudden increase in the water level of the Yamuna is due to heavy releases from the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana. Authorities claimed that more than 100,000 cusecs of water were discharged for almost 12 straight hours from 1 PM on Sunday till 1 AM on Monday. This comprised a record high discharge of 178,996 cusecs at 4 PM on Sunday, which is the highest outflow of the season so far.
The Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department has put to sea 34 out of its 40 boats and is also using loudspeakers at riverbanks to alert residents and instruct them on how to prepare for evacuation. “We are anticipating that the river will reach 206 meters by about 2 AM. So evacuations will happen between 2 AM and 4 AM,” said an I&FC official.