NEW DELHI: Delhi despaired on Wednesday as the water level of the Yamuna rose to an unprecedented height of 208.05 metres, surpassing the all-time record of 1978 at 207.49 meters, the Central Water Commission (CWC) said.
Thousands of people have been shifted to safer areas as water gushed into their homes and markets near the river, causing hardships. Amid the deluge, the low-lying areas of the city are flooded prompting the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to caution people not to use Nigambodh Ghat and Geeta Colny crematorium to cremate bodies.
As many as 45 boats, 17 belonging to Boat Club & 28 to the Irrigation & Flood Control Department have been put on duty for awareness, evacuation & rescue. A dozen 12 National Disaster Response Force teams have also been deployed for rescue work in the most flood-affected areas.
Delhi Police imposed prohibitory measures in flood-prone areas, preventing unlawful assembly of four or more people. Lt-Governor V K Saxena has called a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Thursday, Raj Niwas officials said.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written to Home Minister Amit Shah appealing for Centre’s intervention. Kejriwal blamed the deluge on large amounts of water being released from the Hathni Kund barrage in Yamunanagar, Haryana. The CM has appealed to the Centre to release only controlled levels of water so that Delhi doesn’t get flooded further. Kejriwal said that Delhi has to host the G20 Summit soon, and the host city being flooded itself won’t send out a good message to the world.
At 4 am on Wednesday, the water level at the Old Railway bridge exceeded the 207-metre mark, a threshold not reached since 2013. By 1 pm, the water level rose to 207.55 metres. Kejriwal held an emergency meeting with cabinet ministers and senior officials at the Delhi Secretariat.
The areas severely impacted by flooding are Sonia Vihar, Usmanpur, Wazirabad, and Shastri Park in North East Delhi. The Monastery Market, Majnu ka Tilla, and Kashmiri Gate in North Delhi have also been affected, with the water even reaching the Outer Ring Road at Kashmiri Gate, leading to traffic disruption. In the eastern parts of the city, Mayur Vihar, Mandwali, Pandav Nagar, and Shahdara district have been impacted.
