Yamuna water recedes, but fresh spell of rains gives no solace to Delhi residents

A fresh spell of heavy rains on Saturday (July 15) evening and the release of water from Hathni and Kund Barrage in Haryana have made it difficult for authorities in Delhi to drain out floodwaters of river Yamuna, which have been inundating the city since Thursday.

The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted the weather to remain cloudy with moderate showers on Sunday (July 16), raising anticipation among residents.

Also read: Heavy rain lashes flooded Delhi; Yamuna level may rise again

On Saturday, three boys were drowned in the water pit of a building under construction in Dwarka Section 23.

On Friday, the situation had improved a bit as Yamuna water started receding from several parts of the city, leading to resumption of vehicular traffic.

Civic workers have managed to drain out floodwaters from the Kashmere Gate to Manju Ka Tila stretch.

However, the Delhi ITO, Akshardham area, and the areas near the Supreme Court and the Red Fort continue to be under floodwaters.

The water level in Yamuna river was recorded at 206.02 m at 8 am on Sunday. Even though it is still above the danger mark, it has recorded a steady decline in the past few hours from 207.92 at 1 am on Saturday. The water level had touched 208.66 m at 6 pm on Thursday, higher than the previous record of 207.49 m in 1978.

The fresh spell of rains have led to severe traffic issues in several parts of the city. With several stretches of the city including VIP areas under floodwaters, civic workers have been working on war footing to drain out floodwaters from these areas.

Authorities have also instructed workers to rescue stray animals from the roads like dogs and cattle.

Also read: Yamuna level dips, situation will be normal if no rain: Kejriwal

Besides this, two task forces deployed in Meerut are being deputed in Delhi for any eventualities.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has assured people that the government is trying to open all the five gates of the Yamuna Barrage, some of which are jammed by silt, to flush out all the floodwater inundating the city.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his arrival in Delhi called up Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena to learn about the situation on the ground.

Also read: Will Delhi govt learn its lessons from an unprecedented deluge?