Yamuna water level will drop to 208.45 metres by Friday: CWC

Delhi’s main inter-state bus terminal at Kashmere Gate experienced flooding and had to suspend its services due to the rising water level of the Yamuna River.

The water level in Yamuna, which rose to a record high of 208.62 metres due to the discharge of water from Haryana’s Hathini Kund barrage on Thursday, is likely to come down to 208.45 metres by early Friday morning, according to the flood forecast by the Upper Yamuna Division of the Central Water Commission.

The water level at Yamuna recorded till 4pm on Thursday at 208.62 was the highest ever recorded level (File Photo)

The water level recorded till 4pm on Thursday at 208.62 was the highest ever recorded level.

The water flow at 204.5 metres is considered the “warning level”, 205.33 metres the “danger level” and 206 metres the “evacuation level”.

As a result of flooding, several low-lying areas near the Yamuna River have been affected, leading to water being pushed on the roads, waterlogging issues and traffic congestion. The areas inundated due to heavy rains included Majnu Ka Tila, Mayur Vihar Phase 1, Monastery Market, Geeta Colony, multiple portions of Ring Road near Kashmere Gate.

Delhi’s main inter-state bus terminal at Kashmere Gate experienced flooding and had to suspend its services due to the rising water level of the Yamuna River. Buses from other states are now not allowed to enter the bus station.

According to Delhi Traffic Police latest advisory, movement of inter-state buses coming to ISBT Kashmere Gate has been regulated. The inter-state buses coming from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand will stop at Singhu border instead of ISBT Kashmere Gate.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel swung into action and were seen rescuing people stuck in the bungalows in Ram Kishore Road and Bela Road in Civil Lines, an upscale neighborhood in central district.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Thursday chaired the meeting which was attended by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, revenue minister Atishi and irrigation and flood control minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, along with senior officials from police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), CWC and India Meteorological Department.

Kejriwal said the water level in the Yamuna was constantly rising and spilling onto the nearby roads and has urged people living in low-lying areas near the Yamuna river to immediately evacuate.

Kejriwal has also ordered the closure of schools, colleges, and non-essential government offices until Sunday amid floods as the city grapples with incessant rainfall, resulting in severe waterlogging, houses collapsing and a surge in incidents of tree falls.

The water level has also led to closure of three water treatment plants, prompting the government to ask people to conserve water and announce rationalising water supply to deal with the acute shortage.

Kejriwal said the water treatment plants at Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla were shut due to the rising Yamuna water level. “Due to this, there will be a problem with water supply in some areas. These plants will start functioning as soon as the Yamuna water recedes,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.