Yamuna floodwater enters Nigambodh cremation ground, MCD mulls closure

New Delhi: Floodwater from the Yamuna river has started entering the Nigambodh Ghat, Delhi’s oldest and busiest cremation ground, which might halt operations if the water level rises, officials said on Wednesday.

Water has begun seeping into the premises from the riverside. However, the ghat is still functional, and all last rites are being performed.

"As of now, it has not been shut, but if the floodwater rises, it might be closed for the time being," an MCD official told PTI. Located along the Ring Road behind the Red Fort, Nigambodh Ghat, with a capacity of 42 cremation platforms, is the city’s oldest, largest and busiest cremation ground.

"The number of cremations has reduced, but rituals are ongoing. The water has not reached the pyres yet. If the level rises further, we may have to stop," the caretaker of the Nigambodh Ghat said.

An electric crematorium was built at the Nigambodh Ghat in the 1950s, and a CNG-run crematorium was added by the Municipal Corporation in 2006. The Yamuna river in Delhi crossed the evacuation mark on Tuesday, as the water level was recorded at 206.03 metres and has been increasing since.

As the water level rose, people living in low-lying areas were evacuated by district authorities, and the Old Railway Bridge was closed for traffic.

"The reason for the rising water level is mostly due to the high volumes of water released from the Wazirabad and Hathnikund barrages every hour. The forecast indicates a further increase in the water level," an official from the Central Flood Control Room added.

The river received a discharge of 1.62 lakh cusecs from Hathnikund Barrage and 1.38 lakh cusecs from Wazirabad Barrage at 8 am.