Yamuna breaches danger mark, families evacuated to tents, roadside shelters

Evacuations had begun late Monday in several localities, including Geeta Colony, after a surge in the Yamuna’s level was predicted due to heavy discharge from Haryana’s Hathnikund barrage

The Yamuna crossed the evacuation level of 206 metres for the first time this season at 4pm on Tuesday, forcing the government to begin shifting residents away from the swollen river. Rows of tents were pitched on multiple roads near the banks as water entered homes and swept away belongings. Families sat exhausted, feeding children and trying to protect what little they had carried with them, while watching the steady downpour in silence.

Residents said that while evacuation was something they had endured before, the process was no less painful. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

Residents said that while evacuation was something they had endured before, the process was no less painful. In east Delhi’s Geeta Colony, tents were erected on both sides of the bridge.

“I was woken up in the middle of the night when the water entered my house. I quickly moved my belongings to higher ground, and came here around 6am,” said 62-year-old Sri Chand, a farmer who has lived in Geeta Colony since birth. He said space was a serious problem: “There is a severe lack of room. I am staying with my seven children in one tent, which we are sharing with another family.”

Piles of possessions—bundled under tarpaulin sheets—lined the roadside as families waited to be allotted tents.

“Since there are not enough tents, the families that came first got them, but those of us who arrived later, like my family, did not,” said 21-year-old Kapil Paal. “Many of our belongings were swept away by the floodwaters, and now we have no idea where to keep the few that we managed to bring with us.” His parents, sisters and young children sat huddled on cots under the open sky.

Evacuations had begun late Monday in several localities, including Geeta Colony, after a surge in the Yamuna’s level was predicted due to heavy discharge from Haryana’s Hathnikund barrage. HT visited multiple bankside settlements where residents were being moved to higher ground.

For some, the challenge was doubled. Manoj Kumar, 30, brought his eight buffaloes along the steep, slippery embankment. The animals now stood tied to a railing by the road. “It was really difficult to bring them up,” he said. “I don’t have enough food for them, so I have to buy it at high cost nearby. I cannot send them to graze because of the water.” His family too had not been allotted a tent, and their belongings lay scattered on the roadside.

At the Signature Bridge, residents of the nearby Pakistani camp—a settlement of Pakistani Hindus—had little choice but to put up makeshift tents. “Police officers came in recent days to warn us, but no tents were set up for us,” said 40-year-old Sunari Ram. “We are using tarps and sticks, but they barely protect us from the rain. All our belongings are wet.”

Children sat drenched on sodden carpets while their parents scrambled to put up the temporary shelters. “There is no place to sit or rest, and our children are forced to stay out in the rain. We have even seen snakes, which makes us more worried,” said Lakshmi, 50. “This happens every year, and we do not get any help,” she added, flattening mud with a hoe to prepare a floor for her makeshift tent.

Further south, along National Highway-9, rows of white tents were housing evacuees from Yamuna Khadar. According to Sharif Ahmed, chief warden of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) team at the site, residents had been there since August 20.

“We have been here for almost two weeks and are facing many problems,” said 58-year-old Kushma Devi, who has lived in the area for two decades and gone through evacuations several times. “The tents do not keep the rainwater out, it seeps in from the sides. Our children are falling sick because of this and have not been able to go to school.”

By 8pm Tuesday, the Yamuna’s water level had risen further to 206.3 metres.

“Our teams are at work around the clock at various sites across the river. We are providing people with food and water, and doctors are also present at the sites. We are spreading awareness, and instructing people on how to be safe,” said Ahmed of the DDMA.