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Flooded Yamuna river wreaks havoc in Delhi; water enters relief camps, crematoriums
The Civil Lines are reported severe waterlogging problems as vehicles, buildings, staircases to the overhead bridge were all flooded with Yamuna's water.
Yamuna flood: The Yamuna River in Delhi continued to flow past the danger mark on Thursday, inundating several areas as the raging water even entered some of the relief camps set up for evacuees in the national capital.
According to official data, the water level at Delhi's Loha Pul or Old Railway Bridge between 6 am and 7 am stood at 207.48 metres.
The floodwaters also reached near the Delhi Secretariat, and areas like Yamuna Bazar and Monastery Market remain submerged. Shopkeepers and vendors of the Monastery Market said that they began moving their stock early morning, in anticipation that the water level would further rise.
One of them also said that hundreds of people are still stuck in the colonies behind the market, HT reported earlier. Business owners in the area recalled similar scenes from when they were preparing for the 2023 floods.
Visuals showed the relief camps set up near Mayur Vihar Phase-1 being flooded with the Yamuna's water.
People living in the low-lying areas near the Yamuna River have been relocated to other safer sites beforehand. According to the revenue department, 8,018 people have been shifted to tents, and 2,030 have been moved to 13 permanent shelters, news agency PTI reported.
Vehicles, buildings, and bridge staircases were all seen submerged in the overflowing Yamuna River in Civil Lines.
After the incessant rainfall in the capital for the past few days, a portion of the flyover on National Highway 44, under the Alipur police station, caved in on Thursday.
Severe waterlogging across various parts of the capital showed even dogs wading through the waters to move to drier paths.
Floodwaters also gushed into Nigambodh Ghat, Delhi's oldest and busiest cremation ground, forcing it to halt operations. It carried out cremations till 3 pm on Wednesday before the river's water crept towards the main pyre, and they had to turn people away.
The Geeta Colony crematorium was also flooded. However, its operations were not shut down. Sanjay Sharma, head of the crematorium, told PTI, "In 2023, water had entered the cremation ground, and today again it is filled with water, around 10 feet deep. The damage is extensive as all the wood stored outside has been ruined. We are not receiving any help from the administration."
He said that the ground was somehow managing to carry out the last rites as several people were coming there from distant places after being turned away from other cremation grounds that had already been shut.
Road to Yamuna Bank Metro station inaccessible
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Thursday said that owing to the escalating water levels of the Yamuna River, the road leading to the Yamuna Bank Metro Station has become inaccessible.
DMRC advised passengers to plan their journeys accordingly and consider taking alternative routes.
In a post X, DMRC said, "Due to the escalating water levels of the Yamuna River, the approach road leading to Yamuna Bank Metro Station is currently inaccessible. Kindly plan your journey accordingly and consider alternate routes. However, the station is operational and interchange facility is available."
Delhi weather
For Thursday, the India Meteorological Department forecast thunderstorms with rain, followed by a generally cloudy sky with moderate rain on Friday, September 5.
On the weather department's nowcast warnings map, there were no warnings issued for the capital or the NCR areas.
The minimum temperature in Delhi is likely to settle at 21 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is expected to be around 33 degrees Celsius.
