Yamuna breaches danger level; Delhi CM calls for inspection of flood preparedness

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta has called for an on-ground inspection of flood preparedness in the capital

Published on: Aug 18, 2025, 18:54:50 IST

By Jasjeev Gandhiok

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New Delhi: The Yamuna crossed the ‘danger level’ of 205.33 metres for the first time this season on Monday. The level was breached at 2 pm, with Delhi’s chief minister Rekha Gupta calling for an on-ground inspection of flood preparedness in the capital at 4 pm. The Central Water Commission (CWC) has forecast water level to continue to rise further, likely touching 205.70 metres at 8 pm and 206 metres by 2 am on Tuesday.

A view of Yamuna River at Yamuna Bazaar in New Delhi, on Monday. (Sanchit Khanna/ Hindustan Times)

The Yamuna was flowing at 204.70m at 5 am on Monday, but has been constantly rising since. It crossed 205m at 10 am and the danger level of 205.33m at 2pm, when the water level at the Old Railway Bridge was recorded at 205.36m. At 4 pm, the river was flowing at 205.48m, CWC data showed.

Over 1 lakh cusecs of water was released at the Hathanikund barrage for nearly 12 straight hours between 1 pm and 1 am on Sunday, prompting a fresh surge in the river’s water level. Typically, Delhi’s Irrigation and Flood Control department starts evacuating people from low-lying areas when the water level touches 206m, however, announcements asking people to evacuate on their own have been going on for the last few days. This includes I&FC boats with personnel using loudspeakers and microphones along the river banks.

On Sunday, the peak hourly discharge crossed 100,000 cusecs at 1pm for the first time this season, when 109,029 cusecs were released. The hourly discharge continued to increase and touched a peak of 178,996 cusecs at 4pm - so far the highest this season.

The CM’s flood preparedness inspection will cover Asita Ghat at ITO, from where she will cover Yamuna Chhat Ghat, office of the DM (East), the 12 no. regulator, Metcalf House on ring road, the U-turn at Boat club, Yamuna bazaar and finally the flood control room of the I&FC department.

In 2023, the Yamuna swelled to its highest-ever water level of 208.66m on July 11 following a record discharge of 359,760 cusecs from Hathnikund, with several days above 100,000 cusecs. By contrast, last year’s peak was 204.38m on September 26—below even the warning level. The peak discharge last year was 87,018 cusecs, data from the Irrigation and Flood Control department showed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jasjeev Gandhiok
Jasjeev Gandhiok is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times, where he covers environment, climate change, the clean energy transition and wildlife at the National Bureau. Gandhiok has over a decade of experience in journalism and is based in Delhi. He has reported extensively on Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). This includes the region's air pollution woes, a polluted Yamuna and on urban wildlife still thriving in the region. He joined HT in October 2021. Prior to that, he had five-year stint at The Times of India in Delhi, where he also covered Delhi, with a focus on environment and wildlife. Gandhiok has covered some recent events around the Capital too, ranging from the farmers' protests, the northeast Delhi riots and the CAA-NRC protests, reporting from the ground on all of these. He also travels across the country to report on how environment and climate change impact everyday life, while also writing on endangered species. His reports in 2019 on toxic leachate from Delhi's landfills led to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) taking suo motu cognisance and ultimately asking the state government to start bio-mining to flatten and remove all three landfills in the capital. He also closely tracks the implementation of government policies on climate, renewable energy and environmental protection. His focus remains on impactful, public-interest journalism which explains how environmental decisions affect people's everyday lives.Read More

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