Delhi's latest flood forecast: Yamuna to be at peak flow tomorrow morning

Yamuna water level updates: The River in Delhi is expected to reach its peak flow on Thursday. Authorities are making efforts to handle the flood situation.

The Yamuna River is expected to reach its peak flow at the Delhi Railway Bridge site at 9am on Thursday, resulting in a water level of approximately 208.30m, which is 2.97m above the danger mark. Following this, the water level is anticipated to remain stable for a few hours before gradually receding from around 2pm, according to the latest forecast by the Central Water Commission (CWC).

People from low-lying areas around the Yamuna River wade through floodwaters of the swollen river while relocating to a safer place, in New Delhi, Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (PTI Photo)(PTI07_12_2023_000260B) (PTI)

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has called a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority tomorrow to discuss the flood situation. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will also take part in this meeting.

All District Magistrates are on alert mode

District Magistrates of concerned districts (North, North-East, Shahdara, Central, East, and South-East), along with their district Sector Committees, Irrigation & Flood Control Department, Delhi Disaster Management, Delhi Police, and other stakeholders are on high alert to effectively handle the flood situation. Efforts are being made to coordinate and collaborate among all the parties involved.

People in low-lying areas evacuated

People residing in low-lying areas who needed to be evacuated have been relocated to safer places at higher elevations, the statement said. Accordingly around 16,564 people have been shifted to safer places. 45 boats have been put on duty for awareness, evacuation & rescue work. A total of 12 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have also been deployed for rescue work at the most vulnerable points.

What caused Yamuna to flow above the danger mark in Delhi?

The Hathnikund Barrage, which has limited storage capacity, is required to release excess water downstream during periods of high inflows. Recently, there was very heavy rainfall in the Himalayan region upstream of the Hathnikund Barrage from July 9-11.

According to CWC, the peak inflow at Hathnikund Barrage was recorded at 3.59 lakh cusecs at 11:00am Tuesday, which persisted for two hours. Subsequently, the inflow gradually decreased to 1.30 lakh cusecs at 3pm on Wednesday.

The travel time for water to reach the Central Water Commission Flood Forecasting Site at Delhi Railway Bridge from Hathnikund Barrage ranges from 30 to 48 hours depending on river flow conditions. Consequently, this led to a higher flow in the Yamuna river below Hathnikund, resulting in a rise in water level at the Delhi Railway Bridge location.