After breaching the danger mark on Thursday, water level in the Yamuna has risen to a record high—at 208.53 metres on Thursday morning, breaking a 45-year-old record. As the Yamuna swelled amid heavy rainfall, the water spilled over, inundating streets, houses and public infrastructure.
Several key areas, including the Secretariat housing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office, were flooded on Thursday as the national capital braced for an unprecedented situation. Videos of the floodwater gushing through the roads around the Red Fort have been trending on social media.
Schools and colleges in Delhi will remain shut till Sunday, and private sector employees have been advised to work from home. With water levels expected to rise further, Delhi has imposed prohibitory orders in affected areas and 12 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed for rescue efforts.
VIDEO | Severe waterlogging at road behind the Red Fort complex that leads to Kashmere Gate area in Delhi due to rising water level in Yamuna river. pic.twitter.com/8KkBPMPCp3
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 13, 2023
A combination of factors including incessant rainfall that battered much of north India over the last three days has led to the current situation.
Extreme rainfall
Delhi has been witnessing excessive rainfall since Saturday, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted “high-intensity” rainfall over the next two-three days. Earlier this week, Delhi recorded 153mm of rainfall in 24 hours, highest in a single day in July since 1982. The IMD said the intense spell was triggered by a western disturbance prevailing over northern India. The capital city was not prepared to withstand such a huge volume of rain, particularly in a short span of time.
Hathni Kund Barrage
The Delhi government first issued a flood alert on Sunday after Haryana released more than 1,00,000 cusecs of water from Hathnikund barrage into Yamuna river. This has contributed to the rising water levels in the Yamuna and subsequent submergence of the flood-prone areas close to the river. There are two major barrages on the Yamuna -- Dakpathar in Dehradun and Hathnikund in Yamunanagar, upstream of Delhi. There are no dams on the river and, therefore, most of the monsoon flow remains unutilised. Unlike earlier years, the water from the Hathnikund barrage took lesser time to reach Delhi, and official with the Central Water Commission told Hindustan Times. In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Kejriwal requested that the water from Hathnikund barrage in Haryana be released slowly. Normally, the flow rate at the barrage is 352 cusecs, but heavy rainfall in the catchment areas increases the discharge, according to the CWC.
Floodplain encroachment
According to CWC officials, water released from Hathnikund barrage reached the Yamuna sooner than expected because of the encroachment of the floodplain, which allowed for a quicker passage of the water into the river. Encroachments on the river's floodplain have occurred over the years, despite the land belonging to the Delhi Development Authority, the revenue department and private individuals told PTI. A study on 'Urban Flooding and its Management' by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department identifies east Delhi under the floodplain region and highly vulnerable to floods.
