CWC revises forecast as Yamuna breaches 207m in Delhi for 5th time since 1963

The Delhi government has stepped up evacuation efforts, shifting over 10,000 people as precautionary measures intensified across the city

Published on: Sep 3, 2025, 16:32:09 IST

By Jasjeev Gandhiok

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New Delhi: The water level of the Yamuna river in Delhi continued to rise on Wednesday, crossing the 207-metre mark for only the fifth time since 1963, as per data from the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department.

The river touched 207 metres at 1 pm; 207.04 metres at 2 pm, and at 3 pm, was flowing at 207.09 metres. (AFP)

At 3 pm on Wednesday, the river was flowing at 207.09 metres — inching close to the 2010 level of 207.11 metres — prompting the Central Water Commission (CWC) to revise its forecast upward, warning that levels may reach 207.40 metres by 8 pm.

“The river touched 207 metres at 1 pm; 207.04 metres at 2 pm, and at 3 pm, was flowing at 207.09 metres. Based on the current trend, this is likely to become the third highest level of Yamuna ever recorded in Delhi,” an official said.

The Delhi government has stepped up evacuation efforts, shifting over 10,000 people as precautionary measures intensified across the city.

An earlier forecast, issued in the early hours of Wednesday, had said the river may stabilise and marginally dip to touch 206.76 metres by 8 pm.

In 2013, it had touched 207.32 metres. In 1978 — Delhi’s second-highest flood level — it reached 207.49 metres, and in 2023, which was Delhi’s worst-ever flood, it touched a record high of 208.66 metres. While agencies have assured that a repeat of 2023 is unlikely, other records may tumble.

“This is a worrying sign. Over 1 lakh cusecs is still being discharged every hour, for a third straight day. At this rate, the river will keep swelling and even more parts of Delhi will be impacted,” Bhim Singh Rawat, associate coordinator at the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), said.

Also Read: Delhi traffic police issue advisory amid rain. See which routes to avoid

On Tuesday, the Delhi government began evacuating families from low-lying areas, with over 10,000 people moved to higher ground across 28 temporary camps set up in the city. The Old Railway Bridge (Loha Pul) was also closed for traffic operations from 4 pm onwards, until further orders.

Delhi’s Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department, on the same day, closed down four of its 22 drain regulators to prevent flooding in the city. This includes the Vijay Ghat drain, Qudsia drain, Metcalfe, and Tonga Stand.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jasjeev Gandhiok
Jasjeev Gandhiok is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times, where he covers environment, climate change, the clean energy transition and wildlife at the National Bureau. Gandhiok has over a decade of experience in journalism and is based in Delhi. He has reported extensively on Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). This includes the region's air pollution woes, a polluted Yamuna and on urban wildlife still thriving in the region. He joined HT in October 2021. Prior to that, he had five-year stint at The Times of India in Delhi, where he also covered Delhi, with a focus on environment and wildlife. Gandhiok has covered some recent events around the Capital too, ranging from the farmers' protests, the northeast Delhi riots and the CAA-NRC protests, reporting from the ground on all of these. He also travels across the country to report on how environment and climate change impact everyday life, while also writing on endangered species. His reports in 2019 on toxic leachate from Delhi's landfills led to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) taking suo motu cognisance and ultimately asking the state government to start bio-mining to flatten and remove all three landfills in the capital. He also closely tracks the implementation of government policies on climate, renewable energy and environmental protection. His focus remains on impactful, public-interest journalism which explains how environmental decisions affect people's everyday lives.Read More

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