CWC warns of severe flooding across multiple states; Yamuna in Delhi to touch 206m

New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) The Central Water Commission (CWC) on Monday issued a nationwide flood advisory warning of severe flooding in several states, with the Yamuna in Delhi expected to swell further and reach 206 metres by early Tuesday morning.

According to the daily flood situation report, 15 stations, including six each in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and one each in Delhi, Jharkhand and West Bengal are currently under "severe flood situation".

Another 34 stations across Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and West Bengal are witnessing "above normal" flooding.

In Delhi, the Yamuna at the Railway Bridge is flowing above the danger mark with a rising trend. The CWC has listed vulnerable tehsils such as Karawal Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Kotwali, Civil Lines and Defence Colony, along with villages like Burari, Pur Shahdara, Badarpur, and Sabhapur as being at risk.

The advisory also highlights widespread threats across southern and western India. In Karnataka, very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is forecast in coastal and interior districts, raising water levels in rivers such as Netravathi, Kumaradhara, and Varada.

Kerala's Kabini, Valapattanam, and Chandragiri rivers are expected to rise, while Maharashtra faces flooding in west-flowing rivers, including Damanganga and Vashishti, as well as in the Krishna and Godavari basins.

In Telangana, the Godavari basin is under extreme rainfall alert, with heavy inflows forecast into major reservoirs such as Nizamsagar, Sriramsagar, and Kanthampally.

Andhra Pradesh too faces "very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall" due to a low-pressure area, with rivers Musi, Maneru and Paleru likely to swell.

Flood alerts have also been issued for Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand, where multiple rivers are flowing above warning or danger levels.

The CWC has advised dam authorities in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat to strictly follow operating procedures and issue advance warnings before releasing water from reservoirs.

In the Cauvery basin, where dams such as Krishnarajasagar, Hemavathi, Kabini and Mettur are nearly full, coordinated releases are being recommended to avoid downstream flooding.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also flagged moderate flash flood risks in North Interior Karnataka, Telangana, Konkan and Goa, and parts of Maharashtra, and low to moderate risks in Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, and Marathwada. PTI UZM RT