CHANDIGARH: In the wake of incessant rainfall across Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab, all 18 gates of the Hathnikund Barrage in Yamunanagar, Haryana, were opened for the first time this monsoon season as water levels surged to 1.78 lakh cusecs. This significant rise has prompted flood alerts across several districts in Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh.
Officials from the state irrigation department confirmed that this is the highest water flow recorded so far this season. The barrage had initially seen a discharge of one lakh cusecs by Sunday afternoon, triggering a 'low flood' alert. However, the flow intensified, reaching 1.78 lakh cusecs later in the day, prompting a 'medium flood' classification. According to flood categorisation, water flow between 1.5 to 2.5 lakh cusecs qualifies as a medium flood, while anything above 2.5 lakh cusecs is considered a high flood.
The Central Water Commission (CWC) has projected that the Yamuna River in Delhi is likely to rise to 206 metres by the early hours of August 19, surpassing the danger mark of 205.33 metres. The current warning level is 204.5 metres. At 7 am today, the water level at Delhi’s Old Railway Bridge was recorded at 204.8 metres, up from 204.6 metres the previous evening, marking the second consecutive day above the warning threshold.
The water released from the Hathnikund Barrage, currently around 1.27 lakh cusecs, is expected to reach Delhi in approximately 48 to 50 hours. Simultaneously, Wazirabad is discharging over 45,620 cusecs of water per hour. This has raised concerns about flooding in low-lying areas of Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat, and Sonepat.
Heavy rainfall has also affected the Som River in Yamunanagar, where water flow rose above 24,000 cusecs, well over the 10,000-cusec danger mark, before beginning to recede later in the day, along with the Pathrala River.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued further alerts predicting rain, thunderstorms, and lightning in parts of Haryana and Punjab. In Haryana, areas such as Karnal, Indri, Thanesar, and Ambala are likely to be affected, while Punjab districts including Patiala, SBS Nagar, and Ludhiana are also expected to receive rainfall.