Delhi’s swelling Yamuna river was still flowing above the 205.33-meter danger level this morning, and officials said they were working harder to get people out of dangerous locations.
The water level rose to 205.99 metres around 5 am, according to the flood control room. Due to significant rain in upper catchment areas, the river had crossed the 205.33-meter danger mark at 4 p.m. on Friday, forcing officials to order the evacuation of residents of low-lying areas.
According to an estimate, the water level would likely reach 206 metres about 5 o’clock and then stay steady from there.
Anil Banka, the East Delhi Jurisdiction Magistrate, reported that as of Friday night, some 2,300 residents had been relocated to safer locations after being evacuated from low-lying regions in his district. Today’s evacuation operations will be stepped up, he said.
When the Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana’s Yamuna Nagar exceeds the 1 lakh-cusec threshold, a flood alarm is issued for Delhi. Then, an official said, people who live close to floodplains and in flood-prone zones are evacuated.
On Thursday, the flood control department instructed all sector officials to maintain vigilance in their respective regions and take appropriate action at critical places by deploying the necessary number of quick-reaction teams to notify residents living within river embankments.
In low-lying regions, 34 boats and mobile pumps have been used.
“Flooding is a concern for over 37,000 residents of Delhi’s low-lying regions and Yamuna floodplains. With the cooperation of all relevant departments, a flood control plan “explained Mr. Banka.
People who have been evacuated from low-lying floodplain areas are being moved to permanent facilities like schools and temporary structures like tents in safer areas.
At 6 am, the Hathnikund Barrage was discharging water at a pace of about 17,000 cusecs, according to the Delhi flood control room. At 1 am on Saturday, it was 1.49 lakh cusecs, and at 3 pm on Thursday, it was 2.21 lakh cusecs.
28.32 litres per second are contained in one cubic second.
The Hathnikund barrage typically has a flow rate of 352 cusecs, but with particularly strong rains in the catchment areas, the discharge increases. Normally, it takes two to three days for the water released by the barrage to reach the nation’s capital.
The Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana regions are expected to have “widespread rainfall with isolated heavy showers” on August 14 and 15.
On July 30 of the previous year, the Yamuna River crossed the danger line, and the water level at the Old Railway Bridge had risen to 205.59 metres.
On August 18–19 of this year, the flow rate peaked at 8.28 lakh cubic seconds, and the Yamuna’s water level reached a height of 206.6 metres.
The river had swollen to an all-time high flood level of 207.49 metres in 1978. It had grown to 207.32 metres in 2013.
