Delhi on high alert as Yamuna water level breaches 45-year record; traffic advisory issued

The Yamuna river in Delhi breached its 45-year water level record on Wednesday. Rain-related water-logging also affected traffic movement in some areas.

Delhi is on high alert as the Yamuna river swelled to an all time high level in the past 45 years as it crossed the 207.49-metre mark Wednesday, due to incessant rain in the upper catchment areas covering Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh among other states in the past few days. Before this, the river touched its highest recorded peak of 207.49 meter on September 6, 1978 and never crossed that level until today.(Check monsoon related LIVE updates)

The swollen Yamuna river flows in full spate under the Old Yamuna Bridge (Loha Pul), in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday. (Photo by Sanjeev Verma/ Hindustan Times)

Rain related damage to roads and infrastructure and water-logging has also continued to affect traffic movement in the national capital, for which the Delhi traffic police Wednesday morning issued an advisory, urging commuters to avoid affected stretches.

The waterlogged Pragati Maidan tunnel will continue to remain closed for the public today as the authorities are carrying out cleaning and maintenance work at the site. Delhi LG VK Saxena is also scheduled to visit the area today to review the restoration work.

C-Hexagon stretch on India Gate affected

The traffic police also informed that the C-Hexagon stretch on India Gate near Sher Shah Road cut, where a road had caved in, will face restrictions on traffic movement due to the repair work going on. "Commuters are advised to plan their journey accordingly," Delhi police said in a tweet.

There is also a disruption in traffic on Najafgarh Road. Delhi police said that the carriageway from Zakhira to Moti Nagar is affected. “Traffic is affected on Najafgarh road in the carriageway from Zakhira towards Moti Nagar due to a burst of water pipe line, there is waterlogging on the road. Kindly avoid the stretch.”

In view of the dangerously high water level in the Yamuna River, the police had also announced Tuesday that the Iron Bridge Pusta Road in Gandhi Nagar is closed to the public and traffic until further notice.

The Delhi government set up 16 control rooms to monitor the Yamuna level and the flood-prone areas. Around 41,000 people inhabit the low-lying areas near the river, vulnerable to flooding.