Yamuna crosses danger mark, Delhi on flood alert

Heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas over the past few days pushed the Yamuna River above the danger mark on Monday, with levels steadily rising through the day. Authorities in Delhi remain on high alert, closely monitoring the flood threat to the national capital.

Officials said persistent downpours, coupled with hourly water releases from the Wazirabad and Hathnikund barrages in Haryana, led to the surge.

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The Central Water Commission (CWC) reported that the river crossed the danger mark of 205.33 metres at the Old Railway Bridge around 2 pm, touching 205.36 metres. By 7 pm, the level had further climbed to 205.59 metres at the base monitoring station in Delhi.

Data from the Flood Control and Irrigation Department showed that 37,781 cusecs of water were released from the Hathnikund Barrage on Monday, peaking at 1,29,896 cusecs over the previous 24 hours.

According to a flood advisory issued by the CWC on Sunday, water levels are expected to cross 206.00 metres at the Old Railway Bridge by 2 am on Tuesday.

Agencies, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi Jal Board, remain on high alert. Officials from the Irrigation and Flood Control Department said field teams have been directed to maintain a close watch on embankments.

This is the third time this monsoon that Yamuna levels have surged, with the river crossing the warning level twice earlier — on July 23 and August 7 — following heavy rainfall in upstream regions of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarkashi. However, this time the river has breached the danger mark.

In July 2023, parts of Delhi were severely flooded when the Yamuna touched 208.66 metres, the highest flood level ever recorded in the city.