NEW DELHI: The Yamuna river in Delhi continued to flow over a metre above the danger level of 205.33 metres on Monday, forcing the authorities to suspend the movement of trains on the Old Railway Bridge.
According to the Central Water Commission, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge stood at 206.30 metres at 5 pm. The level was at 206.56 metres between 5 am and 7 am, declining marginally to 206.54 metres at 8 am, and then to 206.47 metres at 12 noon.
The commission has forecast that the water level will dip to 206.22 metres by 2 am on Tuesday.
The river’s water level at the Old Railway Bridge has been hovering around the danger mark after reaching an all-time high of 208.66 metres on July 13. It breached the danger mark again on Sunday following a surge in water discharge from the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana after heavy rain in parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
A railway official said the movement of trains on the bridge has been suspended due to the increase in the water level. “The route between Delhi and Shahdara will remain suspended and trains will be diverted via New Delhi,” the official added.
The rise in the river’s water level is expected to impact the ongoing relief and rehabilitation work in the flood-affected low-lying areas of the national capital, officials said.
According to Central Water Commission data, the water level rose from 205.02 metres at 10 pm on Saturday to 206.57 metres at 3 am on Monday, before starting to decline again.
As the river’s water level rose, cattle were seen stranded near the barricades of the Old Railway Bridge. The cattle were brought to the Old Railway Bridge from a cow shelter in the nearby low-lying area.
Vikas Marg closed from ITO towards Laxmi Nagar
The Delhi Police on Monday said traffic has been closed on one lane on Vikas Marg from ITO towards Laxmi Nagar due to the ongoing work on the Yamuna river.
The police took to Twitter and urged commuters to plan their journey accordingly. “Traffic is affected in one lane on Vikas Marg in the carriageway from ITO towards Laxmi Nagar due to ongoing work on the Yamuna river. Due to this, the right turn has been closed from 5 PM to 9 PM for commuters, coming from W point side. They may take U-turn from express cut for Laxmi Nagar. Commuters are advised to plan their journey accordingly,” it tweeted.