Water in the Yamuna river recedes

New Delhi, June 22: Water level in the Yamuna river has come down below the danger level after flowing above it for three days, even as around 5,000 people from low-lying areas continued to stay in relief camps.

"The river was flowing at 204.26 m at 8 PM which is 56 cm below the danger mark of 204.83 metre," an official of flood control department said. The water level in the river had touched 207.32 metres on Wednesday which had come down to 206.50 m last night.

The flood water has also receded in various low-lying areas along the Yamuna including Usmanpur, Yamuna Bazar, Bhajanpura, Shastri Park, Garhi Mandu, Manju ka Tila, Usmanpur Pusta, Jagatpur. Officials said over 5,000 people were still staying in 1,153 tents, set up to provide shelter to flood affected people.

They said focus of the government is now on containing water-borne and vector-borne diseases. The municipal corporations and health department have been told to take all possible measures to stop any possible outbreak of diseases like typhoid, cholera, malaria and dengue.

The civic agencies have been told to start fumigation in the camps while Delhi Jal Board has been asked to provide safe drinking water in the camps.

The water level in the Yamuna river had gone up primarily due to release of around 11 lakh cusecs water into the river by Haryana from its Hathnikund barrage in the last four days.

The officials said Haryana has released 15,936 cusecs of water into Yamuna today. "The administration will remain alert though the water level in Yamuna has receded," said an official in Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's office.

PTI