NEW DELHI: As the water level of the Yamuna in Delhi breached the all-time record of 207.49 metres set 45 years ago, experts attributed the situation to the encroachment of floodplains, extreme rainfall in a short duration, and the accumulation of silt, which elevated the riverbed. At 1 pm, the river swelled to 207.55 metres, surpassing the previous record set in 1978, and causing further inundation of areas near the floodplains.
Thousands of people have been shifted to safer areas as water gushed into their homes and markets near the river. In view of the grave situation, the Delhi Police imposed prohibitory measures under CrPC section 144 in flood-prone areas of the city, preventing unlawful assembly of four or more people and public movement in groups.
A senior official at the Central Water Commission (CWC) said, “We noticed that the water released from the Hathnikund Barrage took less time to reach Delhi compared to previous years. The main reason could be encroachment and siltation. Earlier, the water would have had more space to flow. Now, it passes through a constricted cross-section.” The water from the barrage at Yamunanagar in Haryana, around 180km from Delhi, takes around two to three days to reach here.
Manu Bhatnagar, Principal Director of the Natural Heritage Division at the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, identified extreme rainfall in a short duration as the primary reason for the raging Yamuna in Delhi. “The same amount of water falling over a longer period of time would not lead to such a situation, as it allows time for the water to pass through. Even a lesser amount of precipitation can result in a higher level downstream if it falls in a shorter period of time,” he explained.Country representative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Yashveer Bhatnagar, attributed the record water level in the Yamuna to intense rainfall in the entire upper catchment area.
Section 144 imposed in flood-prone areas
Thousands of people have been shifted to safer areas as water gushed into their homes and markets near the river. The Delhi Police imposed prohibitory measures under CrPC section 144 in flood-prone areas of the city, preventing unlawful assembly of four or more people and public movement in groups.
