New Delhi: The Yamuna River crossed the “danger level” of 205.33 metres for the first time this season on Monday, prompting Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to conduct an extensive ground inspection of flood preparedness across the capital. The Central Water Commission (CWC) has forecast that the water level could rise further, reaching 205.70 metres by 8 pm and possibly touching 206 metres by early Tuesday morning.
The River, which was flowing at 204.70 metres at 5 am, crossed 205 metres by 10 am and breached the danger mark at 2 pm, recording 205.36 metres at the Old Railway Bridge. By 4 pm, the Yamuna was at 205.48 metres, according to CWC data. Officials said the surge followed the release of more than one lakh cusecs of water from the Hathinikund Barrage for nearly 12 hours on Sunday, with discharge levels peaking at 178,996 cusecs at 4 pm, the highest this season. Accompanied by Water minister Parvesh Sahib Singh, Gupta visited the Yamuna ghats, the District Magistrate (East) office, Regulator No. 12 and the Central Flood Control Room to review arrangements. She assured residents that the situation was under control. “The situation is under control, and we are monitoring the water level of the Yamuna. The department is making observations on the release of water from Haryana,” she said. Referring to the 2023 floods, when the Yamuna swelled to 208.66 metres and forced the evacuation of over 25,000 people, Gupta stressed that conditions this time were markedly different. “When the floods struck Delhi in 2023, the drains were not desilted, and the ITO barrage was choked. Our department has been working for the last six months. All the gates of the ITO barrage are open now, and the drains are functioning at full capacity
since the desilting work was carried out,” she said.
The chief minister added that flooding, if it occurred, would be restricted to the floodplains. “If a problem arises, flooding will happen only in floodplains. People living there have been informed by our district magistrates. We feel that the water will not enter the city this time,” Gupta said, urging residents not to panic.
The government has deployed 14 boats for rescue and relief operations and set up 15 wireless stations for real-time monitoring. A Central Flood Control Room, functioning as a coordination hub for all civic agencies, is operating round the clock. Departments including the PWD, Irrigation and Flood Control, and the MCD have completed pre-monsoon measures such as desilting drains, cleaning pump houses and deploying mobile pumps.
Gupta underlined that preparations had been made well before the onset of monsoon. “Delhi does not need to fear. If the water is being released, it is also moving ahead. We are in a safe zone and authorities are working around the clock,” she assured.
In 1978, the Yamuna had reached 207.49 metres, a record that stood until the 2023 floods when the river touched 208.66 metres, inundating residential colonies and disrupting
city life. This year, officials maintain, better coordination and preparedness have reduced risks significantly.