Inching closer to danger
With the level of Yamuna river continuously rising in the last three days of incessant rains, a flood threat was looming large in low lying areas of the city on Saturday, reports HT Correspondent.
With the level of Yamuna river continuously rising in the last three days of incessant rains, a flood threat was looming large in low lying areas of the city on Saturday.
However, contrary to reports, the Commonwealth Games Village coming up on the Yamuna riverbed is safe.
“There is no danger of water entering the Village. Construction work is going on in full swing. The Union UD secretary, M. Ramachandran, visited the area in the afternoon to review the work,” said a Delhi Development Authority official.
Yamuna’s level touched 204.82-metre — one centimetre below the danger mark of 204.83-metre — at 8 p.m. on Saturday.
With the river expected to breach the danger mark, Delhi government officials pressed into service its rescue operations and evacuated many residents living in low lying areas.
According to the forecast by Central Water Commission, the agency that monitors the river level, water level of Yamuna is expected to breach the danger mark by Saturday midnight.
“Our prime aim now is to ensure that the river water does not back flow in the city. We have already closed the inlets of Najafgarh and several other supplementary drains of Delhi,” a senior flood and irrigation department engineer said requesting anonymity.
Meanwhile, two teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) comprising 36 personnel and has a fleet of 28 inflated boats is monitoring the flood situation in Delhi.
“Our teams are searching the river and have already rescued 10 persons from Shastri Park,” said Rajesh Kumar Yadav, assistant commandant, NDRF.