New Delhi: The water level of the Yamuna crossed the danger mark Monday, prompting the Delhi government to call a meeting of all stakeholders to assess the situation and review arrangements.
The water level rose to 206 metres Tuesday at the Old Iron Bridge (Loha Pul), exceeding the danger level of 205.33 metres, impeding traffic movement. The increase came after 8.25 lakh cusecs of water was released from the Hathni Kund barrage in Haryana by 6pm Sunday, which is when the flood alert was issued along with the evacuation orders. The water was expected to reach Palla, the entry point of Delhi, by 1pm on Tuesday.
The Yamuna Danger Level
The Yamuna has two water levels — the warning level and the danger level. The warning level of the river is 204.83 metres while the danger level stands at 205.33 metres.
“Anything below the warning level is normal,” said Prijith Rekh, superintendent engineer of the Irrigation and Flood Control department.
The breaching of the danger level indicates a possible flood-like situation. While this happens every year, according to Rekh, the discharge from the Hathni Kund barrage determines the gravity of the situation.
“This time the amount released was a lot and hence there is the fear of possible destruction, although measures have been taken,” he added.
In 2013, Haryana had released 8.06 lakh cusecs of water that had raised the water level to 207.3 metres. Water levels may rise even higher this time, considering the volume of water released Monday. The warning level of 204.83 metres was recently revised — until last year it was 204.33 metres.
“There was no study to prove that 204.33 was the right warning level and it had been there since British time, so based on certain research, it was revised and fixed at 204.83,” Rekh explained.
The flooding will affect residents of low-lying areas in six districts — North, North East, Shahdara East, Central, and South East, through which the Yamuna flows.
What govt has planned
The Delhi government plans to set up over 2,000 relief camps and deploy 53 boats across 30 locations for rescue operations. The local administration has pointed out that the next 48 hours are crucial.
As part of its preparations, the Delhi government started evacuating people Monday to tents on both the sides of Yamuna. Thus far, 2,120 tents with facilities such as electricity, water, food and toilets have been set up. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has repeatedly appealed to the people in the floodplains to shift to the tents and not return until the water recedes.
Meanwhile, 30 boats have already been placed in the 30 locations, where higher impact of the flood is expected. Civil defence volunteers have also been deployed in the vulnerable areas.
The AAP government has set-up an emergency contact number — 22421656 and the SDM Preet Vihar, the nodal officer of the control room, can be reached at 21210849.
In a statement to the media, the CM said, “The next two days are very crucial. We are monitoring the situation.”
He also announced that the Delhi government is coordinating with the central government, the Lieutenant Governor’s office and all concerned agencies.
Also read: Why Delhi Jal Board is just not able to clean up the Yamuna mess