Delhi flood news highlights: Over 25.4k people evacuated so far, says government

The IP university has postponed all its end-term examinations, scheduled for July 14, 15 and 16, citing flood-like situations in Delhi.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Friday said “Everyone should work for tackling the current situation rather than doing politics on it. We are sending the team as per requirement. 15 NDRF teams have been deployed in Delhi. 4,346 people have been rescued and shifted to safer areas. 179 animals have also been rescued.”

The Yamuna once flowed close beneath the Red Fort’s eastern wall. As the city developed and newer constructions sprung up, the river changed its course, and vehicular traffic made way for the stream that once flowed.

“The water has receded slightly but we are still on high alert and fully prepared for any emergency. There are still 4-5 places which are affected by severe waterlogging. We have rescued almost 900 people and 600 animals from the affected areas and the relief work is still going on. However, the NDRF team is still on standby. Till now, there have been no reports of any casualty,” Sharat Kumar, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Seelampur told news agency ANI. 

Crematoriums located at Nigambodh Ghat, Geeta Colony, Wazirabad and Sarai Kale Khan have been closed in view of the flooding in various parts of Delhi due to Yamuna waters, Mayor Shelly Oberoi said on Friday.

“The first gate will be opened by evening and the rest four will also be opened in the next 60 hours,” said minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, who is present with the group of divers trying to open the five shut gates at ITO barrage.

“Light to moderate rainfall is likely to occur in Delhi, Haryana, and adjoining areas for the next 5 days. We are expecting a slight increase in rainfall on the 17th and 18th July. However, the flooding in Delhi is not due to localized rain but because the Yamuna River has received a lot of water from Himachal and other states,” Soma Sen Roy, IMD scientist told news agency ANI. 

As per latest measurement, the water level of Yamuna recorded at 3pm at Old Railway Bridge is 208.25 metres. 

The Army has been deployed in Delhi after a drain regulator broke down, causing a swollen Yamuna river to enter the ITO, the busiest traffic junction of the national capital. Army jawans have begun working to repair the drain regulator after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sought their help. ITO is choked with flood waters, causing massive traffic snarls in and around the area. Watch this video to know more.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, amid the ongoing flooding woes in the national capital, said this is not the time to resort to a blame game or point fingers at each other as he along with chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday inspected an inundated stretch near Vikas Bhawan, ITO, where a drain regulator was damaged. Read full story

Issuing an advisory, Delhi Traffic police said, “Traffic movement is restricted on Mahatma Gandhi Marg in both the carriageways from Sarai Kale Khan towards Rajghat and vice-versa due to overflow of drain water.”

“Commuters are advised to avoid the stretch,” it added. 

“Firstly, we have to make efforts to take out the people of Delhi from this situation. This has to be done on a war footing. But I don't understand...It has been raining in Himachal Pradesh for the past 1 week. The water was bound to come...Where was CM Arvind Kejriwal's government sleeping?... I don't understand what BJP's central government wants...What will happen to the small children, the old aged people and those unwell?... I blame all three- Haryana, Kejriwal's Delhi govt and Central govt,” Congress leader Pramod Tiwari told ANI on the flood-like situation in Delhi. 

The water level in Yamuna, which stood at 208.35 metres at 11am today, went down to 208.29 at 1pm. The current water level is above the danger mark.

In a relief to the residents in the ITO areas, the gushing water from the broken regulator has finally come to a halt.

Amid the decreasing water level of Yamuna river in Delhi on Friday, several parts of the national capital are still facing waterlogging and flooding, affecting traffic movements.

Commuters were seen pushing their motorcycles through the waters on ITO road while a massive traffic snarl was witnessed at NH-24 near Sarai Kale Khan T-Junction in Delhi.

The Delhi Police have executed 4,500 deployments across all areas of the city. This measure comes amidst the flood situation in the city, and ongoing religious procession of the Kawariyas, which is also being closely monitored by the authorities.

“4,500 police deployments have been done in all areas of Delhi. The movements of the Kawariyas are also being monitored. A decrease in water level in areas like Kashmiri Gate is witnessed. But the Ring road area towards Wazirabad is still flooded. We are trying to open the Bhairon Marg till evening. Traffic can be witnessed on NH 44”, Surender Singh Yadav, Special CP, Traffic, Delhi said.

The Yamuna’s water level at the Old Railway Bridge in the Capital was 208.63 m at 10pm on July 13, according to Central Water Commission (CWC) data from a real-time hydrograph at the location. This is only somewhat lower than the all-time high of 208.66 metres that the hydrograph recorded in hourly readings from 6pm to 8pm on July 13. While the real-time forecasts of the CWC as of 10pm suggest that the water level in the Yamuna will decrease to 208.45 metres by 3pm on July 14, this is still above the official danger level of 205.33 metres.

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The water level in Yamuna, which stood at 208.40 metres at 8am today, went down to 208.35 at 11am. The current water level is above the danger mark.

In a developing situation, a major breach hs occured in Ghaziabad’s Loni where a breach of five metres on late Thursday evening has spread to a span of 22 metres on Friday morning and water is speeding freely in residential areas and localities.