Delhi on high alert: Old Yamuna bridge shut as water level soars to 206.56 metres

Due to a surge in discharge from the Hathnikund Barrage into the Yamuna River after heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, the water level in the river in Delhi has once again breached the danger mark. According to reports, the Yamuna was overflowing at 206.56 meters at the Old Yamuna Bridge around 7:00 am, prompting authorities to close the bridge as a safety measure.

The Delhi government is maintaining a state of high alert as the Yamuna River faces the release of over 2 lakh cusecs of water from the Hathnikund Barrage. Revenue Minister Atishi expressed concerns that certain parts of the city might be at risk of submergence if the water level crosses the critical mark of 206.7 meters.

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In the past few days, the river's water has consistently been above the danger mark of 205.33 meters, having reached an unprecedented peak of 208.66 meters on July 13. According to the data from the Central Water Commission (CWC), the water level rose from 205.02 meters at 10 pm on Saturday to 205.96 meters at 9 am on Sunday.

Adding to the worries, the India Meteorological Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand until July 25. The CWC data indicates that the flow rate at the Hathnikund Barrage in Yamunanagar crossed the 1 lakh-mark at 9 am on Saturday.

Given this substantial volume of water, the capital city faces the risk of mid-scale floods, further complicating its recovery from the worst flood experienced in decades. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation to minimize potential damages and ensure the safety of residents in the affected areas.

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