AMID HEAVY RAIN, YAMUNA WATER LEVEL IN CAPITAL NEARS ‘DANGER MARK’: OFFICIALS

NEW DELHI: The water level of the Yamuna in Delhi rose to 203.74 metres on Thursday, close to the warning mark of 204.50 metres, after heavy rains in the upper catchment areas of the river, officials said.

The city administration sounded an alert in low-lying areas close to the river floodplains on Tuesday, with Haryana discharging more water into the river from the Hathnikund Barrage.

The irrigation and flood control department has kept boats on standby and the situation is being monitored round-theclock, an official said.

“The water level at the Old Railway Bridge was recorded at 203.74 metres at 8pm. It was 203.37 metres at 10.30am,” the official said.

The danger level is 205.33 metres. A flood alert is declared when the Yamuna crosses the “warning mark” of 204.50 metres.

The river is in spate because of rains in Delhi and the upper catchment areas, he said, adding that the administration anticipates the water level may rise further. “The discharge rate at the Hathnikund Barrage [in Haryana] peaked at 160,000 cusecs on Tuesday afternoon, the highest this year so far,” the official said.

The water discharged from the barrage usually takes between two to three days to reach the Capital.

The water level may rise further as there is a prediction of rains in the catchment areas, the official said.

In 2019, the flow rate had peaked to 828,000 cusec between August 18 and 19, and the water level of the Yamuna hit the 206.60m mark, breaching the danger level.

The Delhi government launched evacuation and relief operations after the overflowing river submerged many low-lying areas. In 1978, the river swelled to an all-time record water level of 207.49m.