Yamuna Water Level Recedes Below Warning Mark In Delhi

The Delhi government's flood control room said the water level on the river dipped from 204.89 metres at 7 am on Wednesday to 204.32 metres at 6 pm on Thursday.

The river had breached the danger mark of 205.33 metres last Friday, prompting the authorities to evacuate around 7,000 people from low-lying areas. The water level had receded below the warning mark on Monday and stood at 203.96 metres at 6 pm on Tuesday.

However, it again crossed the warning mark on Tuesday night with Haryana releasing more water from the Hathnikund barrage amid rains in the upper catchment areas.

The officials said they are keeping a close watch on the situation as more rains were likely in the upper catchment areas of the river.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said widespread rainfall "with isolated heavy falls" is very likely over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand over the next two days.

The catchment of the Yamuna river system covers parts of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.

Last week, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to people to avoid going toward the banks of the river.

A flood alert is declared in Delhi when the discharge rate from the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana's Yamuna Nagar crosses the one lakh-cusecs mark. People living near the floodplains and in flood-prone areas are evacuated.

The discharge rate was 2.21 lakh cusecs at 3 pm on Thursday last week, the highest so far this year.

Normally, the flow rate at the Hathnikund barrage is 352 cusecs, but the discharge increases after heavy rainfall in the catchment areas. The water discharged from the barrage normally takes two to three days to reach the national capital.

The low-lying areas in Delhi near the river are considered vulnerable to flooding. They are home to around 37,000 people.

(Inputs from PTI)