The water level at Yamuna breached 208.46 metres around 7 am on Thursday, thereby smashing the 45-year-old record of 207.49 metres.
The current state surpasses the initial estimation of the Central Water Commission (CWC) which pegged the water level to be only at 207.99 metres on Thursday. The CWS termed it an "extreme situation" as water began flooding low-lying areas in the city, including near the Old Yamuna Bridge, also known as Lohe-ka-Pul. The cremation grounds near the river too are under a serious threat of flooding.
Water has also begun to enter the GT Karnal Road and has reached ITO, a key route to commute from East Delhi to Central Delhi and Connaught Place.
The areas near Boat Club, Monastery Market, Neeli Chhatri Temple, Yamuna Bazar, Neem Karoli gaushala, Vishwakarma colony, and the stretch between Majnu ka Tila and Wazirabad were already underwater by Wednesday evening. Parts of Mayur Vihar, Laxmi Nagar, Sarai Kale Khan, Badarpur, Jamia Nagar, and Shaheen Bagh are at risk of getting flooded.
#WATCH | Delhi: Rise in water level of river Yamuna after incessant rainfall & release of water from Hathnikund barrage
— ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2023
(Visuals from Old Yamuna bridge - 'Loha Pul') pic.twitter.com/cJTbe3uTmD
#WATCH | Traffic affected after GT Karnal road in Delhi gets flooded after rise in water level of Yamuna River pic.twitter.com/hoaKTR2ZCr
— ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2023
With the situation deteriorating, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who earlier said there was no threat of flooding, urged the Centre to intervene. The Delhi Police has imposed Section 144 of the CrPC in flood-prone areas to prevent unlawful assembly of four or more people and public movement in groups.
Lt Governor VK Saxena has also called a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Thursday at the LG Secretariat at noon. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will take part in it.
Meanwhile, the evacuation of people from low-lying areas progresses. Delhi government sources said as part of its evacuation plan, a total of 16,564 people living in low-lying areas have been evacuated to safer places and 14,534 are living in tents/shelters, across the city.
NDRF members evacuate a stranded man from a flooded locality after a rise in the water level of river Yamuna in New Delhi | Reuters
Police and other agencies on Wednesday evacuated more than 750 people and more than 250 cattle stranded in flooded areas.
The MCD's education department has also announced the closure of 10 schools in low-lying areas of the Civil Lines Zone, six schools in the Shahadra South Zone and one school in the Shahadra North Zone.
Meanwhile, in a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Kejriwal requested that the water from the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana be released slowly and pointed out that Delhi is set to host the G20 Summit meeting in a few weeks.
"The news of flooding in the capital of the country will not send a good message to the world. Together we will have to save the people of Delhi from this situation," he said.
