Heavy rain continued to lash Delhi and the National Capital Region on Friday morning. The Delhi government has issued a flood warning as the water level in Yamuna was flowing near the danger level, reported the Hindustan Times. The present level of the river is 203.4 metres while the warning level is considered 204 metres and the danger level is 204.8 metres.
“The status of the river is being monitored by the district administration,” East District Magistrate K Mahesh told The Times of India. “It is currently under the normal level, but we are in touch with all the officials concerned.”
Meanwhile, Haryana released around 1.3 lakh cusecs of water into the river on Thursday. Rescue boats have been kept on standby while officials have been asked to monitor the low-lying areas. The water will take at least 48 hours to reach Delhi.
“At least 15,000-20,000 families live in slums on the [Yamuna] floodplain,” said an official from the flood control and irrigation department, according to the Hindustan Times. “If the water level increases, people in low-lying areas in north Delhi may have to be asked to move to higher grounds.” The official, however, allayed fears saying there are at least 10 embankments along the river, and hence the released water is unlikely to flood the main city.
Overnight downpour affected vehicular movement in several areas in the NCR. Traffic was slow at Ghazipur Murga Mandi and from Badarpur to Mehrauli due to waterlogging. The Badarpur railway underpass was inundated, slowing down Friday morning traffic. The stretch from Badarpur to Ashram as well as areas around the Modi Mill flyover was also affected.
The maximum temperature on Thursday was at 28.7 degrees Celsius, six notches below the season’s average. The minimum also dropped to 26 degrees Celsius.
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