7,500 in Delhi shifted to camps as Yamuna remains in spate amid heavy rainfall

Besides the shelters set up by the governments hundreds of others have started erecting tents by the roadside, moving their families to the spots

New Delhi: Thousands living on the Yamuna floodplains shifted to roads along the Yamuna as the river continued to flow above the “evacuation mark” at 206 metres with the Central Water Commission saying that the water level may cross 207metres by 3am on Wednesday.

People from low-lying areas around the Yamuna river carry their belongings while relocating to a safer place near Old Yamuna Bridge in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

Read here: High alert sounded as the Ganga, Yamuna begin to swell in Prayagraj

According to officials, a water level of 204.5 metres is considered the “warning level”, 205.33 metres is considered “danger level” and 206 metres is taken as the “evacuation level”.

Thin bamboo sticks and thick plastic sheets were strewn across the roadside throughout the stretch from Noida Link Road to Mayur Vihar, DND Flyway, nursery pushta and across the length of NH24 up to near Pragati Maidan on Tuesday morning as thousands started building makeshift shelters.

With a gradual increase due to 2.1 to 3.5 lakh cusecs of water being discharged every hour from Hathnikund barrage, near Yamuna Nagar in Haryana, the river rose from 206.08metres at 1am to 206.69metres at 7pm.

Development minister Gopal Rai said officials have been instructed to provide all basic facilities to the evacuees. “Approximately 2,700 relief centres/tents were established by the government for relief and rescue, which can accommodate around 27,000 individuals,” he said. The government has set up shelters in places such as Geeta Colony, Madanpur Khadar, Garhi Mandu, Palla, Hiranki, Yamuna Bazar and Mayur Vihar.

Besides the shelters set up by the governments hundreds of others have started erecting tents by the roadside, moving their families to the spots.

“We need thin bamboo sticks because it bends easily and the thick plastic sheets are required so that it lasts through the rain and wind for the next few days. This is an annual exercise and we know exactly what to do. We have to move out for about a month every year. Once the flood alerts start, we keep watch in turns through the night to check when the water levels will rise,” said Gendan Lal, a vegetable farmer who lives with his family along the floodplains.He has set up his camp near the Delhi-Noida border.

Mala (who goes by a single name) was drying freshly picked red chillies over a single bedsheet spread at a tent opposite Akshardham temple. “We shifted early as we have children and did not want to wait till the last minute. My sons set up the tent by 7am. The chillies got wet as the water level increased and need to dry quickly, otherwise the entire lot will be spoiled,” said Mala.

Raj Ram, a farmer, was among several families who have set up their camps on the under-construction Barapullah extension near Mayur Vihar. He alleged that the government issued the alert late. “The government announcement started late and we had to rush when the water level rose in the middle of the night. By afternoon, we built our camps. We have been doing this for the past several years every monsoon. We are not being provided food and water here,” said Ram.

Read here: Yamuna breaches banks, water enters villages in Karnal, Panipat

East Delhi district magistrate Anil Banka said an evacuation alert was issued two days ago and people began to be shifted from Monday. “According to the Central Water Commission estimates the water level was expected to breach the 206 metres mark by Tuesday, but it did a day before. At least 7,350 people have been evacuated so far. More people will be shifted depending on the rise in the river level. We also have provision for permanent shelters,” he said.

Delhi irrigation and flood control minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that two large halls in government buildings have been made functional to accommodate evacuees in north district, 170 tents have been set up in Shahadra, 280 in north-east district, 150 in central district and 384 tents have been set up in south-east district. The maximum, 1,713, have been set up in the east district which has been the worst affected stretch.

Bhardwaj, who reviewed relief measures near Akshardham in east Delhi, said around 3.69 lakh cusecs water is being released by Haryana. “A lot of water has also been released from Solan and Shimla into the river due to a heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh. This is also expected to come via Hathnikund to Delhi,” he said.

The Yamuna river spans around 22km in the Capital but its floodplains have been encroached by settlers over the years. Around 50 boats from the boat club and flood and irrigation department have been kept ready to meet any emergency, an irrigation and flood control department official said. I&FC has identified 17 vulnerable points including places like Vijay Ghat, Tibet market, Metcalf house, Tonga stand area, drain number 12 and 12A and Delhi gate. Delhi Police, along with civil administration, on Tuesday, rescued lives of altogether 19 people, including 10 children and four women, who were stuck in the fields near the Yamuna Khadar owing to the severe floods.

Migrant labourers have built hutments on the floodplains and homeless people have found shelter under the bridges. In places such as Yamuna Bazaar, slums as well as concrete houses have come up close to the floodplains. Over 35,000 people are estimated to be living in entire flood plains.

Meanwhile Delhi BJP also stated that the party has set up relief camps at eight sites such as Yamuna Bazar and old Delhi which were inaugurated by Delhi party chief Virendra Sachdeva.

Read here: Discharge of water in Yamuna: Agra starts preparations in case there is flood

While such warnings have become an annual phenomenon, the highest flood level in the city was observed in September 1978 when the level of water in Yamuna reached 207.49 meters. Another senior government official said that the Najafgarh drainage system has witnessed several instances of high water levels in 1977, 1978, 1988, 2011 and 2013. “During this period, a heightened level of vigil is maintained on river embankment when large volume of released in the river upstream and heavy rainfall in the catchment area can lead to river attacking its embankments and additional measures need to be taken to check any abnormal erosion,” official added.