- Thursday, February 27, 2025
Rising water level also threatened the residence of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and the city-state’s assembly building.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN capital Delhi continued to reel under serious flood conditions as the water level in the swollen Yamuna river rose further to alarming levels, throwing life out of gear and forcing authorities to work on a war footing to restore normalcy.
The water level in Tamuna rose to more than 208 metres at 1 pm on Thursday (13) as the neighbouring state of Haryana continued to release water from its Hathnikund dam. Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had urged the federal government to halt the water discharge but the latter said that excess water from the dam had to be released. However, the quantity of water released was expected to reduce later in the day, NDTV reported.
यमुना में जलस्तर बढ़ने के बाद पैदा हुए हालात पर आज DDMA की बैठक हुई।
दिल्ली में सभी स्कूल, कॉलेज और यूनिवर्सिटी को रविवार तक के लिए बंद किया जा रहा है।
सभी non-essential सरकारी दफतरों को work from home से किया जा रहा है। प्राइवेट ऑफ़िस को भी Work from home लागू करने की… pic.twitter.com/kiPVHsyXMW
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) July 13, 2023
I appeal to all volunteers, councillors, MLAs and all other people to visit relief camps and provide all possible support.
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) July 13, 2023
The dam in Haryana was filled up due to incessant rain in its northern neighbour of Himachal Pradesh where the maximum number of casualties in rain-related incidents and severe destruction was witnessed. More than 80 people were reportedly dead in the hill state while property worth over millions were destroyed in the monsoon fury.
While the weather cleared in Delhi on Tuesday (11) after a few days of heavy rain, several areas in the city including some posh localities were inundated. Rising water level also threatened the residence of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and the city-state’s assembly building. Waterlogging caused severe traffic congestion in one of India’s most populous cities as vehicles were diverted to alternative routes.
Thousands were displaced in the flood conditions and were taking shelter in elevated areas, including along under-construction flyovers.
The Delhi Metro railway, the city’s rapid urban transport system, also operated trains with caution while crossing bridges over the Yamuna in spate, the Metro authorities said on Thursday.
“Due to rising water levels of the Yamuna, trains are passing through all the four Metro bridges on the river with a restricted speed of 30 kmph as a precautionary measure. Normal services on all corridors,” the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) tweeted.
Due to rising water levels of the Yamuna, trains are passing through all the four Metro bridges on the river with a restricted speed of 30 kmph as a precautionary measure. Normal services on all corridors.
— Delhi Metro Rail Corporation I कृपया मास्क पहनें? (@OfficialDMRC) July 13, 2023
DMRC officials on Wednesday (13) told PTI that they were “closely monitoring” the metro bridges over the Yamuna amid rising water level of the river.
Meanwhile, entry and exit of passengers at the Yamuna Bank Metro Station on the Blue Line was temporarily shut due to the rising water levels of the Yamuna river, officials said on Thursday.
Chief minister Kejriwal also ordered all schools and colleges to remain closed till Sunday (16) following a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority. Government employees, except those in emergency services, were asked to work from home. private companies were also advised to ask their employees to work indoors.
Drinking water services were also affected in some parts of Delhi as three water-treatment plants were closed. Kejriwal said efforts were underway to normalise the services as soon as possible.
Several teams of the National Disaster Response Force are working on the ground, evacuating those whose homes have been flooded.
Visuals of people being rescued on boats from submerged areas were doing the rounds.
Seeking citizens’ cooperation in the rescue operation, Kejriwal tweeted, “Saving lives most important. I appeal to all Delhiites to help each other in this emergency.”
