New Delhi: The Delhi government is making people aware that matters could get worse if the unprecedented rains continued, as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is expected to take a review meeting Monday.
The Aam Aadmi Party government’s minister Atishi has said that the water level in the Yamuna River will cross the danger mark by Tuesday morning.
“We are monitoring the flow of water in case rainfall continues… It is expected the river will cross the danger mark tomorrow at Old Yamuna Railway Bridge,” she said.
For its part, the government has made announcements and are evacuating people living in flood plains, the public works department minister said.
She added: “Boats have been stationed which have proper rescue equipment. Arrangements are being made for the evacuated people.”
#WATCH | Delhi's PWD Minister Atishi says, "…As per our calculations, it seems that by tomorrow morning, the water level of river Yamuna will cross the danger mark. We are monitoring the flow of water in case the rainfall continues…It is expected that the river will cross the… pic.twitter.com/ReK4DWDZ6a
— ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2023
Along with several states in northern and western India, Delhi has seen unprecedented rains in the last few days. In the last 36 hours alone – from 8.30 am on Saturday – the capital has recorded 260 mm of rainfall, which is over 30 per cent more than July’s quota of 195.8 mm.
The government has issued a flood warning and shut schools on Monday.
The Safdarjung Observatory, the main weather station in Delhi, recorded 153 mm of rain in a 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Sunday. This is the highest rainfall for a single day since 25 July, 1982, when 169.9 mm of rain was recorded.
It is also the third-highest single-day rainfall for July since 1958, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Rains have also battered Himachal Pradesh in the past 48 hours, killing six people on Sunday alone. Twenty major landslides and 17 flash floods have been reported in the last two days and over 30 houses completely and partially damaged. All major rivers including Ravi, Beas, Satluj, Swan and Chenab are in spate, news agency PTI reported.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah took stock of the situation Sunday and spoke to the chief ministers of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, and the lieutenant governors of Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, sources told PTI.
Meanwhile, the heavy rains in many parts of India in the first eight days of July have bridged the rainfall deficit for the entire country, according to the IMD. The cumulative rainfall this monsoon has reached 243.2 mm, which is 2 per cent above the normal of 239.1 mm.
However, there are large-scale regional variations in rainfall, IMD data showed.
While the eastern and northeastern regions have recorded a deficiency of 17 per cent (375.3 mm against a normal of 454 mm), north India has witnessed 59 per cent excess rainfall (199.7 mm against a normal of 125.5 mm).