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India’s capital city grapples with escalating water levels in the Yamuna River, resulting in extensive flooding, traffic chaos, and closure of schools and offices
NEW DELHI: India’s capital city is grappling with the escalating water level in the Yamuna River, which has resulted in severe flooding, disrupted public transportation, and prompted emergency actions.
The water level reached a critical point, standing at 208.62 metres at 1 pm today, a staggering three metres above the danger mark, as the Hathni Kund barrage in Haryana continues to release excess water into the river.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government had appealed to the central authorities to intervene and halt the water discharge. It is anticipated that the discharge will gradually reduce later in the day.
The Haryana barrage reached its capacity due to heavy rainfall in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh. The monsoon season wreaked havoc in the hilly region, resulting in widespread destruction, with homes collapsing and bridges being washed away.
In Delhi, the upscale Civil Lines area experienced severe waterlogging as river water infiltrated nearby localities. Alarmingly, the water has reached within a mere 350 metres of Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence and the Delhi Assembly.
The inundation has caused significant disruptions to traffic movement, particularly on several roads, including sections of the crucial Outer Ring Road. As a result, traffic has been diverted to alternative routes, leading to massive traffic jams and further exacerbating the situation.
In addition to the transportation chaos, the flooding has also affected the city’s metro services. The Yamuna Bank Metro station on the Blue Line had to be closed due to waterlogging on the approach road. While operations on all other metro lines remain normal, trains are operating at reduced speeds on metro bridges.
In response to the escalating crisis, the Chief Minister chaired a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority and subsequently ordered the closure of all schools and colleges until Sunday.
Government employees, excluding those engaged in emergency services, have been instructed to work from home. Private offices have also been advised to adopt the work-from-home option.
Water services in certain parts of the national capital have been disrupted as three water treatment plants have been shut down. CM Kejriwal has assured citizens that efforts will be made to restore normal water supply as soon as the waterlogging subsides.
Multiple teams from the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed on the ground to carry out evacuations of individuals stranded in flooded homes. Distressing visuals depict people being rescued by boats in areas where the water has reached chest level.
In the midst of this crisis, CM Kejriwal has appealed to citizens to extend their cooperation during the evacuation process. He emphasised the paramount importance of saving lives and tweeted, “I appeal to all Delhiites to help each other in this emergency.”
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