After Yamuna, Hindon water level worries floodplain residents in Ghaziabad

The water level at the Hindon barrage in Ghaziabad was recorded at 198.95 metres. The danger level at the barrage is 205.80 metres

A rise in the water level in river Hindon is worrying residents and farmers who carry out agriculture along the riverbanks. But unlike Gautam Budh Nagar, which has warned of “possible flooding” of the HIndon, the officials of the Uttar Pradesh irrigation department have not yet issued any alert and said the discharge in the river is not alarming at present and they will issue an alert if the situation warrants it.

Farmers in Pratap Vihar said that the low-lying agricultural fields have been submerged by the Hindon in Ghaziabad on Monday. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

As on Sunday evening, the water level at the Hindon barrage in Ghaziabad was recorded at 198.95 metres. The danger level at the barrage is 205.80 metres.

“River Hindon is currently flowing with a water discharge of 2,627 cusecs. So flooding is rare in the Hindon. In comparison, the discharge in the Yamuna at the Okhla barrage was 3.72 lakh (372,000) cusecs on Sunday and it reduced to 87,000 cusecs by Monday morning. We will issue alert in areas adjoining Hindon once the discharge increases or flooding situation is on the cards,” said Binod Kumar Singh, executive engineer, irrigation department (Okhla).

The densely populated areas of Kanawani, Chhajarsi and others, near the intersection of Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar, have hundreds of houses built on the floodplains of river Hindon.

Shobhit Kumar, 30, has a house which is barely 20 feet from the river, which he says has expanded over the week. Kumar said the flooding of farmlands on the plains has made residents anxious and they are keeping a constant watch on the water level.

“The flow in the river is high since July 10 and my house is just 20 feet away. This has made us quite anxious and worried; more so at night. We got this house constructed about 15 years ago and sewage and drainage all goes into the river. If the water level rises further, it will enter many houses constructed on the riverbed. Some houses here are a mere 10-15 feet away from the river,” he said.

Another resident Rinkesh Kumar said locals have enlisted two men to keep a watch over the rising water level at night.

“These two men will move along the river banks at night and inform us if there is any sudden rise in the water level. Some local policemen also visited our area and asked us to be alert in view of the present situation. These lands belonged to farmers who later sold them to us and we have proper registries in our name,” Kumar said.

The densely populated localities are mainly inhabited by daily wagers and their families and also people engaged in small time work in Ghaziabad and Noida.

Kanawani resident Shiv Charan, a mason, who hails from Mahoba, lives in a rented house which according to him “ is just the fourth house from the river.”

“I have been living there since the past 10-12 years and this is the highest level at which I have seen the river so far. There is a fear of insects and snakes near the river and we have to keep a watch at night. The rents of most houses near the river range from ₹2,000-4000 a month depending on their size,” Charan said.

The banks of the Hindon are also a source of livelihood for farmers who take up contract farming on the floodplains.

Ashok Kumar, a resident of Kanawani near the Hindon barrage, said he has a bit of contract farming near Pratap Vihar.

“Many agricultural fields near the river have been submerged by the rising waters I have lost about ₹1 lakh. We sowed onion, spinach, corn, coriander and gourd, but all the crops have been washed away by the water. This is the highest level at which I have seen the water. Only the fields that are on the higher side near the embankment are safe; everything on the lower side have has gone underwater,” he said.

The river is primarily rain-fed and originates from the lower Shivalik ranges in Saharanpur. It passes through different districts in western Uttar Pradesh before reaching Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar from where it confluences with the Yamuna near Momnathal.