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Ghaziabad: City forest shut, water enters localities near floodplains of river Hindon
Last week, Ghaziabad’s Loni area experienced widespread flooding after the Alipur embankment near Yamuna floodplains suffered a breach on July 13
As the residents of Loni grapple with the aftermath of last week’s devastating flooding from the Yamuna River, another crisis seems to be looming in nearby Sahibabad. The Yamuna’s tributary, river Hindon, has witnessed a rise in water levels, inundating the Karhera City forest and surrounding residential areas.
According to officials, the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has taken precautionary measures and closed down the city forest until further notice due to the water entering the facility. This green forest, spread across 100 hectares, was developed by GDA and is situated adjacent to the Hindon airbase, just next to the river Hindon. The areas affected are located upstream of Hindon barrage and Mohan Nagar, officials said.
SK Bharti, the authority’s horticulture in-charge, said, “The water from river Hindon has entered the premises. The closure is for an indefinite period until the situation improves. The water started coming in on Wednesday and escalated on Thursday, compelling us to shut down.”
Neighboring the city forest is Karhera locality, which houses hundreds of residences in Sahibabad.
On Thursday, many residents were seen seeking help as the water inundated roads and internal areas. Some attempted to erect small mud structures to prevent further water inflow.
Sanjeet Kumar, a resident of Krishna Goshala Colony near Karhera, said, “We have 400-500 houses here, and water has entered our locality. It has reached the lanes and is about one-and-a-half feet high, posing a risk of damage to our household items.”
Savita Devi, another resident, said, “The water is slowly rising, and I am trying to shift my household items onto beds and tables to protect them. My husband is not at home, and I am also managing my three minor children. In such a situation, I feel helpless and worried about my belongings.”
According to the officials from the UP Irrigation Department (UPID), the river Hindon’s discharge was approximately 2848 cusec, flowing at a level of 200.05 meters against the danger level of 205.8 meters. The water discharge has seen a rise from around 2600 cusec to 2800 cusec in the past two days due to increased rainfall in the upstream areas.
Binod Kumar Singh, the executive engineer of UPID (Okhla), said that the current situation is temporary, and the Hindon barrage can withstand a discharge of up to 1 Lakh cusec of water. The flooding in the floodplain areas is expected to recede once the discharge level stabilizes.
Ghaziabad district administration officials conducted inspections of the river’s upstream areas, confirming the water’s movement on the floodplains and the submergence of fields.
“We inspected upstream areas of the river and the water has moved on the floodplains and submerged fields there. We will check if it entered other areas,” said Vivek Srivastava, additional district magistrate (finance and revenue).
Last week, Ghaziabad’s Loni area experienced widespread flooding after the Alipur embankment near Yamuna floodplains suffered a breach on July 13. Repair works were completed on the night of July 15. During the repair period, vast amounts of water entered localities and affected villages, along with the Tronica City industrial area and nearby residential areas. The authorities are now on high alert to prevent further damage and respond effectively to the situation in Sahibabad.
