Gautam Budh Nagar sounds alert as Yamuna breaches danger level in Delhi

The danger mark of Yamuna at Delhi’s Old Railway Bridge is 205.33m. On Wednesday, the river was recorded at 205.35m at 7am and by 1pm, it rose to 205.74m

After the Yamuna breached the danger mark in Delhi on Wednesday, the Gautam Budh Nagar administration sounded the alert and continued to facilitate the shifting of people displaced from the floodplains to shelter homes, officials said.

In the meantime, the administration is carrying out sanitation efforts in areas where the floodwaters have receded. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

According to Delhi officials, the danger mark of the Yamuna at Delhi’s Old Railway Bridge is 205.33m. On Wednesday, the river was recorded at 205.35m at 7am and by 1pm, it further rose to 205.74m.

Meanwhile in Gautam Budh Nagar, the Yamuna level at Okhla Barrage in Noida remained below the danger level on Wednesday, said district officials.

“The danger level of Yamuna at Okhla Barrage is at 200.60m. On Wednesday, at 5pm, the river held steady at 199m. At the Hindon barrage in Ghaziabad, river Hindon remained at 199.05m, which is below the danger mark of 205.80m,” said BK Singh, executive engineer, head works division, Agra Canal-Okhla, irrigation department.

However, he added that river Hindon river has increased by 1 metre in the past 24 hours.

“The normal level of the Hindon is 198m, but it is flowing at 199.05m as on Wednesday,” said Singh.

According to additional district magistrate (finance) Atul Kumar, the administration is on alert as the Yamuna level has increased in Delhi.

“We are constantly issuing warnings that even though the level of the Yamuna and Hindon is below danger mark in our district, people in the flood-prone area must collect goods from their homes and move to safer locations. It is estimated that the rivers may rise further anytime, so no effort should be made by the public to move household goods without coordinating with the police and the administration,” said the ADM.

He added that the administration continues to provide relief and facilities to displaced persons at shelter homes.

“About 4,210 people have been displaced by the floods and are staying at the 14 shelter homes created for them in safer areas. The administration has not asked any of the people at shelter homes along the Yamuna and Hindon floodplains to leave, as we continue to provide them support and facilities such as food, shelter and sanitation,” said Kumar.

In the meantime, the administration is carrying out sanitation efforts in areas where the floodwaters have receded.

“We are spraying anti-larvae drug to prevent the spread of diseases in the flood affected areas. Due to accumulation of water, the risk of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, chikungunya has increased. Apart from that, stagnant water is being pumped out using machines so that once residents are back, they do not face any problems,” said Kumar.

He said the next step for the administration is to carry out a damage survey.

“Sixty-seven villages in the district have been affected by the floods in the Yamuna and Hindon floodplains. The affected areas mainly comprise agricultural land. Once the situation returns to normal, the Dadri, Jewar and Sadar subdivisional magistrates will conduct damage surveys in their respective areas and present a report. On the basis of this report, compensations will be set for victims,” said Kumar.