Flood Fear In Delhi As Water Level Rises In Yamuna, More Rains In Store

The Yamuna river has reached its highest level since 2013, with the water level at the Old Railway Bridge rising to 207.18 meters in the early hours of Wednesday.

The water level is expected to rise further, triggering fears of flooding in the capital.

"The water level of the Yamuna River is increasing due to rain. All the police stations along the banks of the river have been instructed to increase vigilance in the area. Coordination is also being established with other agencies so that if there is waterlogging, people can be evacuated immediately," a senior police official was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.

An official said,"The Yamuna water level at the Old Railway Bridge rose to 206.76 metres by 8 pm, which is the highest since 2013 when the river reached a level of 207.32 metres".

The sharp rise in water level is due to continuous rainfall in the upper catchment areas and saturated soil from heavy precipitation in Delhi and nearby regions over the weekend. The Yamuna breached the danger mark twice in September last year, with the water level reaching 206.38 meters.

Meanwhile, the weather office has forecast a cloudy sky and light rain on Wednesday for the national capital. The water level in Yamuna is likely to swell further if more rains lash the city, posing a bigger challenge for the officials.

The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to settle around 34 and 26 degrees Celsius. Delhi received torrential rains on Saturday and Sunday, which caused widespread waterlogging and traffic jams.

The authorities have been put on high alert and are monitoring the situation closely. They have also evacuated people from low-lying areas along the Yamuna river. Three lakh 59 thousand cusecs of water was released from Hathni Kund barrage into Yamuna on Tuesday noon, ANI reported.

The rising water level in the Yamuna is a cause for concern, but the authorities are confident that they will be able to manage the situation. They have assured the people of Delhi that they are taking all necessary steps to prevent a flood.