Yamuna river flowing close to warning mark

The level rose after 4,353 cusecs of water was released from Haryana’s Hathini Kund barrage into the Yamuna at 8am.

On Sunday morning, the water level of the Yamuna river at Old Railway Bridge in Delhi was recorded at 203.98 metres, which is close to the warning mark of 204.50 metres. The level rose after 4,353 cusecs of water was released from Haryana’s Hathini Kund barrage into the Yamuna at 8am.

The water level of Yamuna has risen following heavy seasonal rainfall this year. (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

Officials in the Delhi government’s irrigation and flood control (I&FC) department said that the level recorded is much below the warning mark and could go up only if a higher volume of water is released into the river, or if there is heavy rainfall in the national capital.

At 4am on Sunday, the river was flowing at 204.06 metres and by 8am, the water level had receded, said officials.

An I&FC official said that water is released into the barrage every four hours. On a regular basis, only 350 cusecs of water is released.

However, during monsoon, because of higher volume of water in the barrage and also because of rainfall in the hilly regions, more water is released, which leads to a surge in the Yamuna. “It takes between 36 and 72 hours for the released water to reach Delhi. We are monitoring the water levels,” said the official, who did not wish to be named.

Last year, Haryana had released over eight lakh cusecs of water in a day following which the water level had breached the danger mark of 205.33 metres.

I&FC Officials said that preparations are in progress in case a higher volume of water is released and evacuation operations need to be launched. “We have identified locations for pitching tents. Social distancing is a norm because of the prevailing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak. We have also identified schools, which are closed because of the pandemic, where the flood-hit public can be provided temporary shelter while maintaining adequate physical distance among them,” the official said.

Delhi had reported a major flood in 1978, when the water level in the Yamuna had risen to its highest-ever level recorded to date at 207.49 metres.