As the rains remain unrelenting with incessant showers lashing Delhi -NCR afresh today, Delhi government on Monday sounded a flood alert after the Yamuna River’s water level was projected to rise above the danger mark following the release of over 29,000 cusecs of water from Hathnikund Barrage in the morning.
Officials have been directed to maintain strict vigilance and intensify patrolling in low-lying and flood-prone areas. “As the water level at the Old Railway Bridge (ORB) may cross the danger mark of 206.50 metres, a Central Water Commission (CWC) advisory may be issued shortly. Sector Officers must monitor their areas closely, take precautions at vulnerable points, and ensure people living along the riverbanks are shifted to safer locations,” the government order stated.
A heavy discharge of water from the Hathnikund Barrage led to the Yamuna swelling to 204.87 meters at the Old Railway Bridge (ORB) on Monday at 12 pm. The warning mark for Delhi is 204.50 metres, the danger mark is 205.33 metres, and evacuation of people begins when the water level reaches 206 metres.The Old Railway Bridge serves as a key observation point for tracking the river's flow and potential flood risks.
The order further directed the police and staff of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department to carry out round-the-clock patrolling along both embankments, keeping watch on vulnerable stretches, regulators, and pumps."People residing within the river embankments shall be warned, and arrangements must be made to shift them to safer places," it stated.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast “generally cloudy sky with moderate rain” in Delhi from August 31 to September 2, with thunderstorms and rain expected on September 3. Rain or thundershowers have also been predicted for September 4 and 5, raising concerns of further swelling of the Yamuna.
In a broader weather update, IMD said that India experienced one of its wettest Augusts in decades. “Rainfall over the country in August was 268.1 mm — the seventh highest since 2001 and the 45th highest since 1901,” IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said in a virtual briefing.
Northwest India received 265 mm rainfall, the highest since 2001, while South India recorded 250.6 mm, the third highest since 2001. Mohapatra attributed the surge to the revival of the monsoon after August 14, with four low-pressure systems driving “active to vigorous” conditions for 15 days.
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