Yamuna water below danger mark; rain forecast in HP, Uttarakhand puts Delhi on alert

Water level in river Yamuna stayed well below the danger mark of 205.33 on Wednesday (July 26), but prediction of heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas has renewed fears of a fresh bout of floods in the national capital, which is already grappling with rain-related woes.

According to the Central Water Commission (CWC), the water level at the Old Railway Bridge (ORB) stood at 205.09 metres at 9 am.

Also read: Yamuna’s water level in Delhi declines marginally

The Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station, recorded 37.1 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours that ended at 8:30 am on Wednesday.

The weather stations at Lodhi Road, Ayanagar, Mungeshpur and Mayur Vihar gauged 35.1 mm, 26 mm, 53.5 mm and 110.5 mm of precipitation.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rain in parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand till July 27.

Rise in water level to affect relief, rehabilitation

The water level of river Yamuna reached an all-time high of 208.66 m on July 13, and has been hovering around the danger mark ever since. The level went past the danger mark again on Sunday (July 23) following a surge in water discharge from the Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana after heavy rain in parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

On Sunday night, the Railways suspended the movement of trains on the ORB due to the increase in the water level.

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The rise in the rivers water level is expected to impact the ongoing relief and rehabilitation work in the flood-affected low-lying areas of the national capital, officials said.

According to CWC data, the water level in the Yamuna rose from 205.02 metres at 10 pm on Saturday to 206.57 metres at 3 am on Monday before starting to decline again.

Delhi has grappled with unprecedented waterlogging and floods this month.

Initially, a downpour caused intense waterlogging on July 8 and 9, with the city receiving 125 per cent of its monthly rainfall quota in just two days.

Subsequently, heavy rain in the rivers upper catchment areas, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Haryana, led to the Yamuna swelling to record levels.

At 208.66 metres on July 13, the Yamuna surpassed its previous record of 207.49 metres set in September 1978. It breached embankments and penetrated deeper into the city than it has in more than four decades.

Also read: Monsoon mayhem: Four killed in Uttarkashi landslide; tourists stuck in Himachal

As a result of the floods, more than 27,000 people have been evacuated from their homes to safer places. The losses incurred in terms of property, businesses and earnings have run into crores of rupees.

Experts attributed the unprecedented flooding in Delhi to encroachment on the river floodplain, extreme rainfall within a short span of time and silt accumulation that has raised the riverbed.

(With inputs from agencies)