Flood fear looms as Yamuna flows above warning mark in Delhi, residents urged to move to higher ground

The Central Water Commission (CWC) has predicted that the river’s level will climb to 205.25 metres by 9 am on Friday, close to the danger mark of 205.33 metres.

The Yamuna River in Delhi crossed the warning level at the Old Railway Bridge on Thursday morning as the water level touched 204.56 metres at 5 am, slightly above the warning mark of 204.5 metres. By 8 pm, it had risen further to 205.05 metres, due to a higher volume of water being released from the Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana over the last two days, The Times of India reported.

An alert has been issued to all agencies concerned to take precautionary measures to deal with a potential flood-like situation, PTI reported.

The Central Water Commission (CWC) has predicted that the river’s level will climb to 205.25 metres by 9 am on Friday, close to the danger mark of 205.33 metres. As per TOI, officials have started alerting residents living in low-lying areas about the possibility of flooding. Videos from Thursday show government teams, both on foot and in boats, making announcements and urging people to move to higher ground. “The water level in the Yamuna is rising rapidly. Please take all your belongings and shift to a safer place,” one official announced through a loudspeaker.

Bhim Singh Rawat, associate coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), explained that the Yamuna has been receiving an average inflow of 20,000 cusecs since the barrage started releasing more water in recent days. On Wednesday, the peak discharge from Hathnikund was recorded at 61,729 cusecs. Even on Thursday morning, the release remained above 30,000 cusecs.

According to the district administration’s plan, once the water level reaches 206 metres, evacuations from low-lying areas will begin. “We alert people when the water level crosses the warning level. However, when the water level surpasses the danger level, we make announcements in the low-lying areas for people to move to higher ground. All govt departments are put on alert for necessary actions,” TOI quoted a departmental official as saying.

If the river rises beyond 206 metres, arrangements will be made for temporary shelters, tents, food, clean water, sanitation facilities, and medical aid for those affected. At that point, movement across the Old Railway Bridge will also be stopped for safety, the official added.

Data from the CWC shows the Yamuna was at 203.61 metres at 3 pm on Tuesday. By 6 pm on Wednesday, it had risen to 204.15 metres following increased water release. Interestingly, just two days earlier, at 4 pm on July 23, the river had touched 204.14 metres before its level briefly dipped.

Historically, the highest flood level for the Yamuna in Delhi was recorded at 208.66 metres in 2023, when the barrage released over 3,50,000 cusecs at its peak, with several hours crossing 1,00,000 cusecs. Other major flood years include 1978 (207.49m), 2010 (207.11m), and 2013 (207.32m). After the Yamuna floods in 2023, the river did not flow at dangerous levels in 2024, TOI reported.