River Yumana Flows Above Danger Mark of 205.33 M

Forecast said the water level will be at 206-metre mark

Due to the downpour in the national capital, The swollen Yamuna river continued to flow above the danger mark of 205.33 metres in Delhi this morning and efforts have intensified to evacuate people from vulnerable areas, officials said.

According to the flood control room, the water level reached 205.99 metres at 5 am. The river had breached the danger mark of 205.33 metres around 4 pm on Friday following heavy rain in upper catchment areas, prompting authorities to evacuate people from low-lying areas.

A forecast said the water level is likely to touch the 206-metre mark around 5 pm and remain stable thereafter.

East Delhi District Magistrate Anil Banka said around 2,300 people had been evacuated from low-lying areas in his district and moved to safer places till Friday night. Evacuation efforts will be intensified today, he said.

A flood alert is declared in Delhi when the discharge rate from the Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana's Yamuna Nagar crosses the 1 lakh-cusecs mark. People living near the floodplains and in flood-prone areas are evacuated then, an official said.

Taking notes from the flood control department on Thursday advised all sector officers to keep a vigil in their respective areas and take necessary action at vulnerable points by deploying the requisite number of quick-reaction teams to warn people residing within river embankments.

Thirty-four boats and mobile pumps have been deployed in low-lying areas.

"Around 37,000 people who live in Yamuna floodplains and low-lying areas in Delhi are considered vulnerable to flooding. A flood control plan has been with all departments concerned," Mr Banka said.

People evacuated from low-lying areas in the floodplains are being shifted to temporary structures like tents and permanent buildings like schools in safer areas.