NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday assured residents that the national capital is not in danger despite the steadily rising water level of the Yamuna, which is expected to touch the evacuation mark of 206 metres by Tuesday evening. Authorities, however, have been placed on high alert and people living in the river’s floodplains have been advised to move to safer locations.
According to the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, the Hathnikund barrage discharged 3,29,313 cusec of water at 9 am on Monday, while the Wazirabad barrage released around 38,900 cusec.
“This time, despite a high discharge of over 3 lakh cusecs, the level is expected to go up to 207 metres or above. But I can assure the people that they need not worry, as flooding will not occur beyond the floodplains. Delhi is not in danger,” Gupta said, adding that the administration was receiving hourly updates and monitoring the situation closely.
The chief minister said that while residents of the floodplains would face difficulties, inundation would be limited to that area. She pointed out that in 2023, the water level had peaked at 208.66 metres, higher than current projections.
“We are fully prepared. In the past six months, drains have been desilted to prevent blockages and arrangements are in place to drain out excess water,” she added. Meanwhile, the Delhi Congress accused the city government of failing to take timely steps to protect residents.
Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav alleged that due to the government’s inaction, people living in low-lying areas now face the spectre of their homes being submerged.
Yadav said the Yamuna had already crossed the danger mark of 205.33 metres on August 31, following continuous heavy rainfall. “After the arrival of lakhs of cusecs of water released by Haryana in Delhi for the past 24 hours, the spectre of Delhi going under water has risen..”
Heavy rain leads to severe waterlogging
Several parts of the national capital witnessed heavy downpour on Monday, bringing relief from the heat but triggering severe waterlogging and traffic jams across the city. Najafgarh and Aya Nagar were among the wettest spots, recording nearly 50 mm of rainfall during the day, while Palam and Safdarjung received around 30 mm and 19 mm respectively, the India Meteorological Department said. Massive jams were reported on Mathura Road, Old Rohtak Road, parts of ITO, and the corridor from Mahatma Gandhi Road to GT Karnal Road, leaving thousands of vehicles stranded due to the ongoing downpour.