Rising Yamuna nears evacuation mark, poses flood threat in Delhi

Yamuna river

The water level in Yamuna river at Delhi's Old Railway Bridge reached 205.79 metres, slightly short of the 206-metre evacuation level, at 8 am on Tuesday.

The water level in the river had touched 205.55 metres on Monday afternoon, breaching the danger mark of 205.33 metres and has been increasing since then.

Officials said the situation is being closely monitored and all the agencies concerned have been asked to take precautionary measures to handle flood-like situation.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is likely to visit low-lying areas along the river to review flood preparedness measures.

"The Yamuna water level is rising mostly due to high volumes of water released from the Wazirabad and Hathnikund barrages every hour," an official from the central flood room said.

According to the flood control department, currently the Hathnikund barrage is releasing around 38,361 cusecs of water and Wazirabad is releasing 68,230 cusecs every hour.

The Old Railway Bridge serves as a key observation point for tracking the river's flow and potential flood risks.

The warning mark for the city is 204.50 metres, while the danger mark is 205.33 metres, and evacuation starts at 206 metres.

Water released from the barrage typically takes 48 to 50 hours to reach Delhi. Even lower discharges from upstream are raising the water level, nearing the warning mark in Delhi.