New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sought central intervention Wednesday after the water level in the Yamuna crossed a record high of 207.55 metres this monsoon.
In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Kejriwal said the water level was rising not because of the rains – “it has not rained in Delhi in the last three days” – but due to the water released from Haryana’s Hathnikund barrage.
He requested Shah to ask the BJP-ruled state to stagger the water release so that the level in Yamuna does not go up any further.
“Delhi is the capital of the country. In a few weeks, the G20 meetings will be held here. Flooding in India’s capital won’t send a good message to the world. We all have to save the people of Delhi from this situation,” Kejriwal told Shah.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal writes to Union Home Minister Amit Shah
Limited quantity of water should be released from Hathnikund, so that the water level of Yamuna does not increase further. G20 summit is to be held in Delhi so if flood happens in Delhi, it won't send a… pic.twitter.com/iVbBUv8gTR
— ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2023
According to the Central Water Commission’s (CWC) flood-monitoring portal, the water level at Yamuna’s Old Railway Bridge crossed the 207-metre mark at 4 am, the first time since 2013, and rose to 207.55 metres by 1 pm.
The river is likely to rise further, an official of the irrigation and flood control department told news agency PTI.
Delhi recorded a rapid increase in the Yamuna water level over the last three days.
It shot up from 203.14 metres at 11 am on Sunday to 205.4 at 5 pm on Monday, breaching the danger mark of 205.33 metres 18 hours earlier than expected.
The river had exceeded the evacuation mark of 206 metres on Monday night, prompting the government to relocate people from flood-prone areas to safer locations. The administration also closed the Old Railway Bridge for road and rail traffic.
Delhi water minister Saurabh Bharadwaj told the media that the city government was prepared to deal with the situation. “We are monitoring the situation and all possible steps are being taken,” he said.