Yamuna swells to danger mark; low-lying villages, sectors submerged in Noida region

Several low-lying areas in Sector 135, 167, 128 and others in the Noida region at large have been flooded, compelling locals to move on to safer places in the middle of the night

Noida As the Yamuna River continues to swell, thousands of families in the Gautam Budh Nagar district have no choice but to leave homes and livestock behind.

Villages including Junpat, Nagli Wajidpur, Madanpur Khadar, and Azgarpur, along with urban pockets in Sector 126, 128, 135, 150, 167 and 168, are among the worst-hit. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photos)

Several low-lying areas in Sector 135, 167, 128 and others in the Noida region at large have been flooded, compelling locals to move on to safer places in the middle of the night.

On Thursday, the discharge at Okhla barrage rose to 254,478 cusec, compared to 209,968 cusec recorded a day earlier. The river level stood at 200.60 metres on Thursday morning, exactly at the danger mark, up from 200.10 metres on Wednesday.

At the Hindon, discharge remained unchanged at 6,487 cusec on both Wednesday and Thursday. Officials said water levels have stabilised since 9am, Thursday, raising hopes that the river may begin to recede gradually.

At Junpat village, agricultural fields have submerged. “We had just started recovering from last year when this hit us again. Our crops are once more under water. It feels like all our hard work has drowned in the river,” said Ramesh Kumar, a farmer from Junpat village.

In Sector 135, where several houses are flooded, residents shared their ordeal. “By midnight, it was waist-deep. We could just save a few belongings before being shifted to the shelter,” said Meena Devi, a resident of Wajidpur village.

For many families, fear of losing livestock outweighs other things. “We have been taking turns to keep an eye on the cows and buffaloes shifted to the temporary shelter. Animals are our only source of income. If they fall sick or die, how will we survive?” said Iqbal, a farmer from Azgarpur village.

Villages including Junpat, Nagli Wajidpur, Madanpur Khadar, and Azgarpur, along with urban pockets in Sector 126, 128, 135, 150, 167 and 168, are among the worst-hit. Relief camps have been set up along Pusta Road and in affected areas of Sector 150.

Officials said the water level at Okhla barrage had held steady since Thursday morning. “The levels have remained unchanged since 9 am., which is a positive sign. We expect the situation to improve slowly,” said executive engineer (irrigation department) BK Singh.

In Madanpur Khadar, families are staying on rooftops until help arrives. “Authorities say the situation is under control, but for us every night is fearful. We don’t sleep, we just wait, afraid the water may rise further,” said Kailash Kumar, a farmer.

“We had to move out with just a bag of clothes. It feels unreal to be living in a relief shelter, but safety is more important,” said Rajwati Devi, who moved from her house near Sector 167 floodplains.

On Thursday, Noida authority officials from the Water and Health departments inspected the relief camps in Sector 150.

“Our priority is to ensure that no affected family faces any shortage of essential services. We have directed all departments to act swiftly and make clean drinking water, food, and healthcare available at the relief camps. The authority will continue to monitor the situation closely and extend every possible support to the displaced citizens,” said Noida authority’s chief executive officer Lokesh M.

Police teams on Thursday carried out inspections in Knowledge Park and adjoining villages, issuing advisories to locals to avoid returning home until waters subside. Animal shelters were also emptied in coordination with NGOs.

The district administration has set up one relief centre each in Sadar, Dadri and Jewar tehsils, equipped with community kitchens.

So far, around 2,500 people have been displaced and shifted to six government shelters in Sadar tehsil. Nearly 2,000 cattle have also been moved to safer locations with the help of the district administration and NGOs.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Gautam Budh Nagar recorded 11 mm rainfall in the past 24 hours, with humidity levels hovering around 90–100%.

For now, with the Yamuna flowing at the danger mark, officials and residents alike are keeping their eyes on the water levels, praying the worst is behind them.