Delhi flood highlights: Capital received 11 mm rainfall in last 3 hours, says IMD

Bhatia asked the Kejriwal government how much it spent on desilting of Yamuna from ₹6,800 crore that was given to it for cleaning of the river.

He also alleged that the AAP government failed to put in place a proper drainage system and ensure timely desilting of drains in Delhi that led to widespread flooding and waterlogging in the city.

"In 2013 and 2019, 8 lakh cusecs water was released from Hathinikund barrage into the Yamuna. This year, only 3.5 lakh cusecs discharge caused flooding in Delhi. This because Kejriwal's priority is not work but to make excuses," Bhatia charged.

He said Kejriwal should apologise to the people for the situation in Delhi.

In view of the current flood situation in Delhi, Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar issues an order to IAS and DANICS officers for rescue, relief and rehabilitation works. Order is for all 11 Districts and 33 Sub Divisions.

The Delhi government said on Saturday that the flood-like situation in the national capital is expected to improve by Sunday as the water level of the Yamuna river, which had increased to a record level due to the significant release of water from the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana, is gradually receding. Read more

The record water level in the Yamuna river in Delhi which created a flood-like situation in the national capital this week, has thrown normal life out of gear. Low-lying areas have been submerged, roads have been blocked, and traffic congestion has worsened due to the overflowing Yamuna. However, capital's ‘lifeline’, the Delhi Metro continued to function with little disruption and even recorded heavy demand during flood woes.

"...My team and I came here & carried out an initial assessment and musted our resources. After analyzing the situation we came to the conclusion that there is a requirement of a Bund...We mustered our resources and started construction of the initial Bund which took around 8-9 hours. The Bund is preventing Yamuna river from entering the city...," says Col Tejinder Singh, Corps of Engineers Indian Army on the ongoing flood relief work at drain 1 at the ITO site.

The BJP on Saturday alleged that inaction and corruption of the AAP government was responsible for the flood in Delhi and asked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to apologise to the people for "failing" to handle the situation.

Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia and party MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma alleged that the flood was caused by lack of desilting of the Yamuna in the last eight years of the Kejriwal government.

"The AAP and Kejriwal are big on making excuses, corruption and inaction. Just like they blamed the Centre and other states during the COVID-19

Over 30 trainees of Indian Statistical Services were rescued on Saturday morning from Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) at ITO in central Delhi, officials said.

According to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) officials, they received a call at 11.20 am. “We immediately rushed to the spot and rescued all 33 trainees, who were stuck at IIPA due to the drain water. The trainees were rescued by carrying them on fire tender during the rescue operation,” a DFS officer said.

Delhi Metro trains are now crossing the four Yamuna bridges at normal speed amid a fall in water level of the Yamuna on Saturday, the transporter said.

Metro trains had been crossing the four Yamuna bridges at a restricted speed of 30 kmph as a precautionary measure due to the level of the river.

"Speed restriction imposed while crossing Metro bridges over Yamuna has been removed. All trains are running at normal speed now," the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said in a tweet.

Among the thousands of people impacted by the floods along Yamuna banks in Noida this week, there were hundreds who were hired as help in farmhouses built illegally in the low-lying areas near the river, officials said.

Government officials said the workers and staffers of the farmhouses – thousands in number – were not moved to safety in time even as advisories were issued well before the area got inundated.

These farmhouses are located near Nagli Wajidpur village in Sector 135 on the other side of the pushta (embankment) towards the Yamuna – some two kms off the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway.

Delhi Cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Saturday alleged that flood in the city were caused by the the BJP-led Centre and Haryana government wilfully releasing water towards the national capital.

Addressing a press conference here, Bharadwaj said it has not rained in Delhi in the last 3-4 days, yet still the water level in Yamuna reached 208.66 metres.

"The water from Hathnikund Barrage is released from three canals -- Western Canal, Eastern Canal and Yamuna. As part of a conspiracy, between July 9 and 13, water was released from Yamuna canal only towards Delhi. There was no water released through the Western and Eastern Canal," he claimed.

After the rising waters of the Yamuna flooded vast swathes of the national capital, there was heartening news for the residents on Saturday as the water level dropped to 207.27 metres at 1 pm.

At 12 noon, the water level in the Yamuna stood at 207.38 metres.

Earlier, on Saturday, at 9 am, the level was recorded at 207.53 metres, down from 207.98 metres at 11 pm on Friday.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday called a cabinet meeting to discuss the ongoing flood situation in the national capital.

The meeting will be held at 4.30 pm on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, the chief minister took to Twitter stating that that the water level of the Yamuna was decreasing gradually and the situation would return to normal soon.

Haryana home minister Anil Vij on Saturday hit back at the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government over the flood situation in Delhi.

“ In our state also water came from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh but we are not blaming anyone. We are trying to make arrangements... All the villages and cities on the banks of the Yamuna have received the same amount of water. Why would we deliberately release water in our districts?”, the minister told ANI. Read more

The Delhi Fire Services Saturday evacuated 33 students stranded at an institute at ITO in central Delhi after floodwaters entered its premises, officials said, reported PTI.

According to the fire department, they received a call at 11.20 am and rushed to rescue the students at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA).

Due to heavy rain and water logging along the tracks of several of its routes, Northern Railways has temporarily cancelled some trains, while some have been diverted and short-terminated as well, said Northern Railways in its press release issued on Friday.

The cancelled trains, which were scheduled to depart from their respective stations on Saturday, include Ambala -Amb Andaura- Ambala Special JCO, Firozpur- Jalandhar Cantt - Firozpur Special JCO , Jalandhar Cantt-Hoshiarpur - Jalandhar Cantt Special JCO.

Diverted trains that are scheduled to depart on Saturday include Jammu Tawi- Jodhpur Express, Dehradun-Amritsar, Dehradun –Saharanpur.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the water level of the Yamuna in the national capital is receding slowly and the situation will normalise soon if there is no more heavy rainfall.

With several parts of the city still inundated, the chief minister also urged people to avoid waterlogged areas. Tagging a video of children playing in floodwaters in Delhi's Shanti Van, he said, "I urge everyone to avoid this. It cud be fatal."

The water level in swollen River Yamuna was recorded at 207.48 metres at 10 am in Delhi on Saturday. The overflowing Yamuna river has touched the Red Fort wall on Ring road, inundating the nearby areas.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday, took to Twitter and saying that the water level of the river is gradually decreasing and the situation would get back to normal soon.

"The water level of the Yamuna is decreasing gradually. If it does not rain heavily again, the situation will be back to normal. We started withdrawing water from Chandrawal and Wazirabad water treatment plants. After this, the machines will be kept for drying. Both plants will be operational tomorrow. Please stay aware and help each other," CM Kejriwal tweeted.

Delhi Revenue Minister Atishi wrote to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar on Saturday and asked him to ensure that people affected by flooding and living in relief camps in the city have access to toilets and don't face a shortage of water or electricity.

She asked the chief secretary to immediately address the issues.

Parts of Delhi have been inundated after the Yamuna in the city breached its banks following days of heavy rains in its upper catchment areas, prompting the evacuation of thousands from low-lying areas.

Delhi minister Atishi on Saturday said the Public Works Department (PWD) has started pumping out water, cleaning roads and opening them up for traffic movement in view of a fall in the Yamuna water level.

The PWD minister also said that the Kashmiri Gate ISBT and Bhairon Marg have been opened for vehicular traffic.

After wreaking havoc on lives and livelihoods in parts of Delhi close to it, the swollen Yamuna on Saturday morning followed a downward trend, albeit at a slow pace of a few centimetres per hour.

The blame game over the Yamuna flooding in the national capital took centrestage, a day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena issued a joint statement stressing 'teamwork', with Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Saturday alleging that the BJP-ruled Centre and the Haryana government had conspired to throw the national capital into a flood crisis.

Coming down heavily at the BJP at a press conference on Saturday, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said, "Delhi received 153 mm of rainfall on July 8, which was a record in two decades. It rained moderately in the evening on July 9, but thereafter, the city exprienced no further rainfall. So, the big question is — if there was not a drop of rain in Delhi since July 9, how did the national capital come to be flooded like this?"

There are reports from many places that some people are going to play or swim in the water or are going for video/selfie. Please don't do this. This can be fatal. The danger of flood is not over yet. The velocity of water is very fast. Water can rise anytime, tweets Delhi CM Kejriwal. 

The water level in the Yamuna in Delhi is showing a receding trend and heavy rainfall is not expected in the city or the higher reaches anytime soon, a government officer said on Saturday.

The situation in the national capital's flooded areas is also improving, Divisional Commissioner Ashwani Kumar said during a press conference here.

Parts of Delhi have been inundated after the Yamuna in the city breached its banks following days of heavy rains in its upper catchment areas, prompting the evacuation of thousands from low-lying areas.

Speed restriction imposed while crossing Metro bridges over Yamuna has been removed. All trains are running at normal speed now, says DMRC.