Delhi deluge: Capital submerged, water supply hit, schools shut

Overflowing Yamuna forces closure of schools, colleges and govt offices; traffic hit; Capital faces 25% drinking water shortage

NDRF personnel rescue residents from the flood-affected Old Usmanpur village, in New Delhi, Thursday, July 13, 2023.(Photo | PTI)

NEW DELHI: The National Capital on Thursday witnessed its severest flooding in the past five decades as the Yamuna level went way past the danger level, reaching 208.66 metres at 7 pm. The unprecedented swelling of the river resulted in heavy flooding on major roads within the city, causing widespread disruption and posing a significant threat to residents.

Among the immediate concerns is the availability of drinking water, as the city’s three main water treatment plants have been shut due to the flooding. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said 25% of Delhi’s water supply could be hit the for the next couple of days.

Over 20,000 people living in low-lying areas have been shifted to relief camps and as many as 50 boats have been deployed for rescue and relief. Since setting up washrooms has become a challenge in some relief camps, the government has decided to shift some of the relief camps to schools.

Besides, the government announced the closure of all private and government schools in the flood-affected areas. Around 40 trauma patients, including three on ventilators, had to be shifted out of the Civil Lines-based Sushruta Trauma Centre as its premises got inundated.

The continuous rise in water levels did not spare the Delhi Secretariat, which houses the offices of the chief minister, his cabinet, and other top bureaucrats. Their premises are flooded. The iconic Red Fort, too, was swamped. Delhi water minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said five of the 32 iron gates under the ITO bridge are jammed due to the accumulated silt, preventing evacuation of incoming water from Wazirabad.

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Floodwater is otherwise flowing freely on the other side of the bridge. Efforts are on to clear the silt using a compressor, Bhardwaj said. The gates are operated by the Haryana government. The Delhi Traffic Police announced traffic restrictions along key routes, including ITO, Kashmiri Gate, and Red Fort, diverting traffic to alternative pathways.

The floodwaters also impacted the mass transport system, as the Kashmiri Gate Bus Terminal was flooded. The government banned the entry of heavy vehicles at certain points and halted interstate buses at the Singhu border. It also directed the closure of entry points at Singhu, Badarpur, Loni, and Chilla borders for heavy vehicles. Interstate buses terminating at ISBT Kashmere Gate will now terminate at Singhu.

READ HERE | Flood fury wreaks havoc across Delhi, educational institutes shut, heavy vehicles banned

SINKING FEELING

Water level in Yamuna 208.66 Metres at 7 pm

3 metres above the danger mark

• Major affected areas include Civil Lines, Red Fort, Kashmere Gate, ITO, Delhi Secretariat, Ring Road, Wazirabad, Shastri Park, Akshardham, Yamuna Bank, Mayur Vihar Phase-I, Alipur, Jaitpur, Garhi Mandu, Okhla
• Floodwater barely 350 metres away Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence and the Delhi Assembly
• Red Fort closed from second half of Thursday to Friday
• Traffic disruption on almost all major roads, including parts of Ring Road
• Yamuna Bank Metro station on Blue Line shut. Trains are moving at a slow pace on bridges
• All schools and colleges to remain shut till Sunday
• Govt employees, except those in emergency services, asked to work from home; private offices asked to switch to WFH
• Water supply in some parts of the city to be affected as three treatment plants — Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla — shut
• Entry of heavy goods vehicles banned from Singhu, Badarpur, Chilla and Loni borders. Interstate buses from Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, J&K and Chandigarh to stop at Singhu border
• Main gate of government-run Sushruta Trauma Centre inundated, prompting authorities to transfer 40 patients, including three on ventilators, to LNJP hospital
• Nigambodh Ghat and Geeta Colony crematorium closed. Residents asked to go to Panchkuian Road, Sat Nagar, Punjabi Bagh, Green Park, Dakshinpuri crematoriums
• 16 NDRF teams deployed for relief, rescue operations

Trains cancelled: More than 300 mail and express trains and 406 passenger trains cancelled between July 7 and 15