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Delhi govt issues flood alert as city receives more rain, Old Railway bridge over Yamuna shut
The authorities warned that the river could cross the evacuation threshold of 206 metres by Tuesday evening.
Delhi received fresh rains on Monday, even as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of more rains in the capital. The above-normal rainfall has led to a flood-like situation in the Yamuna floodplain and the Old Railway Bridge is set to be shut from Tuesday.
The Delhi authorities have advised people in the Yamuna floodplain to move to safety as the water level of the river here rose steadily and is predicted to reach the evacuation mark of 206 metres by Tuesday evening.
The government announced that the Old Railway Bridge over the Yamuna River will be closed to traffic from tomorrow evening. The measures come as over 29,000 cusecs of water will be released from the Hathnikund Barrage.
As of 12 noon Monday, the Yamuna had already reached 204.87 metres at the Old Railway Bridge (ORB), close to the official danger mark of 205.33 metres.
The authorities warned that the river could cross the evacuation threshold of 206 metres by Tuesday evening, prompting precautionary measures across low-lying areas. Water released from these barrages typically takes 48 to 50 hours to reach Delhi.
However, despite the alert, chief minister Rekha Gupta assured that the national capital is not in danger amid the rising level of the Yamuna River but precautionary measures are being taken.
Ever since the alert, officials have stepped up patrolling and have urged the residents in vulnerable zones to evacuate immediately.
Around 15,000 people across six districts live in low-lying regions, while another 5,000 reside directly within the floodplain.
Delhi rains: Top updates
- Delhi CM Rekha Gupta on Monday assured that the national capital is not in danger amid the rising level of the Yamuna river, even though authorities have been placed on high alert in view of the situation.
- The level of the Yamuna River is predicted to reach the evacuation mark of 206 metres by Tuesday evening.
- According to the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, the Hathnikund barrage discharged 3,29,313 cusec of water at 9 am, while the Wazirabad barrage discharged around 38,900 cusec at the time the flood warning was issued.
- Delhi divisional commissioner Neeraj Semwal said over three lakh cusecs of water are expected to be discharged from the barrages over the next couple of days.
- The chief minister also stated that the Yamuna floodplains would be affected and that the residents would face issues; however, she also stressed that the inundation would be restricted to that area.
- On Thursday, a flood relief camp was set up in Delhi's Mayur Vihar, as the water level of the River Yamuna had crossed the danger mark the previous day.
- Many places in Haryana on Monday were lashed by rains, including Panchkula, Yamunanagar and Ambala.
- Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had said on Sunday that his government is alert and prepared to deal with any flood situation.
- Several districts in neighbouring Punjab are also gripped by floods as the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets are in spate following heavy rainfall in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
- IMD, on Sunday, said that India has recorded one of its highest rainfall levels in decades during August 2025, with exceptional showers across several states.
