Authorities in Delhi have taken precautionary measures and urged residents in low-lying districts along the riverbanks to move to safer locations as the Yamuna River’s water level is slowly approaching the danger mark on Thursday. People were asked to evacuate their homes, along with their children and necessary possessions, by district administration and emergency management officials who were spotted patrolling the affected regions in boats.
The water level in Yamana is rising quickly. The officials used portable loudspeakers to repeatedly announce, “Please move to safer places with your children and families.” At 5 p.m. on Thursday, the Yamuna level was 205.03 meters, only a few meters below the Old Railway Bridge’s danger level of 205.33 meters, according to officials. The water level has been rising ever since it was measured at 204.88 meters at 8 am, surpassing the warning level of 204.50 meters.
The district magistrate East office bulletin stated that at 5 p.m. on Thursday, the water outflow at Hathnikund Barrage was measured at 32,640 cusecs, while at Wazirabad Barrage, it was 46,290 cusecs. The discharge from the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana topped 50,000 cusecs for the first time this monsoon season, reaching 61,000 cusecs at roughly 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
“Since then, around 50,000-40,000 cusecs of water have been released from the Hathnikund barrage every hour,” said the official. The city’s danger mark is 205.33 meters, the warning mark is 204.5 meters, and evacuation begins at 206 meters. An important location to monitor the river’s flow and any flood hazards is the Old Railway Bridge.
Parvesh Verma, minister of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FC), conducted a ground inspection at Indraprastha Estate’s regulator drain number 12. “Yamuna’s water level usually rises during this season. The department is completely operational and on guard. The main distinction this time is that the ITO Barrage’s gates are all open.
In contrast to 2023, no gate is closed, therefore the water flow continues unhindered. “Everything is under control,” Verma declared. That the relevant sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) are keeping a close eye on the situation, and that over 12,000 residents in low-lying areas have already received alerts. The minister also stated that plans are in place to safely move individuals to secure zones if needed.
“Every drainage system, pumping station, regulator, and barrage is being attentively watched. To guarantee readiness, backup plans and drain cleaning have also been examined,” Verma continued. It usually takes 48 to 50 hours for the water released by the barrage to reach Delhi. The Yamuna rose to an all-time high of 208.66 meters in 2023.