Delhi: Yamuna dips below danger mark, to rise

The water level of the Yamuna river in Delhi dropped below the danger mark, but is expected to rise again. However, officials say there is no immediate danger of flooding. Sandbag embankments have been created to prevent future floods and a survey is being conducted to identify eligible families for compensation.

The water level of the Yamuna dropped below the danger mark of 205.33m on Tuesday evening, dropping to 205.24mat 10pm, but the Central Water Commission forecast that the river would rise above the danger mark once again, predicting that the water level would reach 205.47m by 2am on Wednesday.

At the Old Railway Bridge in New Delhi on Tuesday. (PTI)

Tuesday’s water level was keeping in line with recent fluctuations in the Yamuna — the river dropped below the danger mark on multiple occasions on Sunday, before rising beyond the evacuation mark of 206m to 206.01m at 10am that day.

However, officials said at present, there is no danger of the Yamuna flooding the city, even low-lying areas. A revenue department official said, “District administration officials are monitoring the situation. In low-lying areas, announcements are being made regularly because the Yamuna levels are fluctuating, and people are being asked to stay away from the Yamuna riverbeds, and not to return back to their homes.”

The official also noted that the hourly water discharge from the Hathnikund barrage at Yamunanagar district in Haryana has dropped below 40,000 cusecs, which means that in the days the come the Yamuna is not likely to rise unless there is very heavy rain in the river’s upper catchment areas.

The authorities have, however, created sandbag embankments at vulnerable and low-lying sites along the Yamuna to prevent any future floods, even as some areas along the floodplains, such as Yamuna Bazar, are still inundated with water from when the river breached its embankments on July 12.

As of Tuesday, more than 15,000 people are still living in around 40 relief camps set up in the city.

“Since the Capital recently faced floods, we know the vulnerable areas which need to be checked. The water levels are being monitored at the ground level, especially at vulnerable locations,” said an irrigation and flood control (I&FC) department official.

Meanwhile, authorities are conducting a survey to identify people eligible for the ₹10,000 compensation for flood-hit families announced by the Delhi government.

Atul Pandey, the ADM (Central district), said, “The survey has been almost completed. We have identified around 550 families who have been hit by the flood. Among them, around 250 people have bank accounts. We are organising special camps to help families which do not have bank accounts to get new bank accounts because the flood compensations will be provided only through direct benefit transfer.”