Yamuna water rises past the danger level in Delhi

If the Yamuna crosses the 206-metre mark, more than 40,000 people living near the river will have to be evacuated.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO

The Yamuna in the city breached the ‘danger’ mark of 205.33 metres on Tuesday, following rain in the river’s upper catchment areas over the past two days.

At 11 p.m., the water level in the river was 205.52 metres, according to Delhi government data. It had crossed the ‘warning’ level of 204.5 metres at 3 p.m., said an official of the Central Water Commission.

The river flowing in full spate on several occasions over the past month had led to a rise in cases of viral diseases in Delhi such as dengue and conjunctivitis.

The city had last month seen the worst flood in its recent history amid heavy rain, as the Yamuna here rose to its highest level since 1963. Many areas were submerged and thousands of people were moved to relief camps by the Delhi government.

As per Delhi government protocol, if the Yamuna crosses the 206-metre mark, more than 40,000 people living in low-lying, vulnerable areas near the river would have to be evacuated.