Yamuna water level declines in Delhi

New Delhi: The water level of the Yamuna at Delhi’s Old Railway Bridge was recorded at 204.96 metres at 6 am on Tuesday, and was inching towards the warning mark of 204.50 metres, officials said.  The water level has been declining after touching the season's highest at 207.48 metres last Thursday.

 As the Yamuna level continues to decline, people have started shovelling out mud and silt from their homes that were inundated.   The river breached the danger level last Tuesday, leading to the closure of movement on the Old Railway Bridge (ORB).  The warning mark for the city is 204.50 metres, while the danger mark is 205.33 metres, and evacuation of people starts at 206 metres.

After the river receded below the red mark of 205.33 metres, the Delhi Traffic Police on Monday night opened the bridge for traffic movement.  The Old Railway Bridge serves as a key observation point for tracking the river's flow and potential flood risks.

 In the past few days, the river inundated several areas along its banks.

Tents have been set up on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, near Mori Gate and in Mayur Vihar to temporarily accommodate people evacuated from low-lying areas near the river.

Areas like Monastery Market, Madanpur Khadar, and Yamuna Bazar have been flooded, prompting people to shift to relief camps.

 Delhi battled one of its worst flood-like situations in 2023, when several areas were inundated, leading to the evacuation of more than 25,000 people.

 The Yamuna touched an all-time high of 208.66 metres on July 13, 2023. The situation led to flooding in several parts of Delhi, including the northeast, east and southeast districts, and key spots like Rajghat and the Tibetan Market.