Yamuna continues to surge

There was no relief from the floods in the capital on Friday, as the Yamuna kept swelling, flowing above the danger mark of 204.83 metres at the Old Railway Bridge. At 6 p.m. the river crossed the 206-metre mark, fuelling concerns that it will reach the dreaded 207-metre mark on Saturday.

Even as the Delhi government tried to douse the panic over floodwaters entering the city and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department continued vigil, experts said the government, instead of “underplaying” the situation, should take quick remedial measures. Delhi would be in the grip of a severe flood if the water level reached 207 metres, they cautioned.

“The flood level at the Old Railway Bridge at 6 p.m. on Friday was 206.03 metres. It is the first time after 1995 that the level has crossed 206 metres. The situation in Delhi remains one of concern despite a breach of over 250 metres in an embankment at Patthargarh upstream of Panipat, which has inundated a large number of villages in Haryana,” said Manoj Misra of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan, a non-governmental organisation. Though the breach reduced the volume of water in the river, the water would eventually flow back into the river.

He said the seriousness of the situation would become evident on Saturday, depending on whether or not the level touched the 207-metre mark.

“Since the administration is aware which areas of the city are vulnerable, it must take immediate steps to ensure that people there are taken care of. There are several areas where water will rush in, and that is where the action should shift. This is not the time for panic, but this is also not the time for a false sense of security,” Mr. Misra said.

Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan denied any danger of floods and said the Yamuna “does not have the [quantum of] water to cause floods.”