The water level in the Yamuna continued to flow above the danger mark on Tuesday, as a nervous administration stepped up vigil and pumped out the surplus water. The rising water level also forced the closure of Old Railway bridge and the cancellation for several trains.
According to Irrigation and Flood Control Department officials, the discharge into the Yamuna was reduced from Monday’s 7.44 lakh cusec to a maximum of 2.2 lakh cusec, but the river’s level continues to rise.
“At 5 p.m. on Tuesday the level was 206.33 metres and by Wednesday afternoon it is expected to rise to 206.95 metres. Though the discharge from Haryana has reduced and we are constantly pumping out water, the river is sill rising,” said Ish Kumar the Chief Engineer of the I&FC Department.
Mr. Kumar said the incessant rains in the city have affected rescue work and the department has had to increase its pumping sets to contain the river waters from spreading out.
“We have purchased and hired more pumping sets to meet the increasing water levels. Rain has hampered out work, and this is a difficult situation where the rain and the floods are both continuing,” said Mr. Kumar.
Allaying fears that the flood waters can damage the embankments and spread into the city, Mr. Kumar said: “The embankments are far away and very sturdy there is no threat to them. We are hopeful of containing the flood waters in the plains and not allow them to inundate the city.”
He said though Wednesday midnight is crucial for the city as the water levels will cross the 207 mts around that time, the city will not face a flood like it did in 1978.
Trains cancelled
Train services across the Old Railway bridge were suspended and over two dozen trains from and to the Old Delhi railway station were diverted to other routes, a railway official said.
Most of the trains diverted were the ones bound for Old Delhi railway station and towards the eastern part of the country. According to railway officials 27 local trains have been cancelled while 59 short distance trains like the Farakka, Padmavati, Howrah Janata, Ranikhet and Lal Quila Express have been diverted.
Among the areas that have been inundated by the flood waters are Majnu Ka Tila, Batla House, Usmanpur, Sarita Vihar, Kalindi Kunj, Jamia Nagar, Wazirabad, Yamuna Bazar Garhi Mandu and Jagatpur.
