Yamuna flows near danger mark, govt alert
25 Aug 2012 6:23 AM IST
With skies having opened up, the water level in the Yamuna rose close to the danger mark on Friday morning, with the river touching 203.97-metre sign, just below the danger mark of 204.83 metres. For the second consecutive day, officials of the flood and irrigation department have warned that the Yamuna could breach the danger mark anytime, as it was raining heavily in the catchment areas north of the city.
According to an officer of the flood department, the situation had become grim in the last 10 hours, as by 5.30 pm on Friday it had rained 3.9 centimetres. It takes a rainfall of 10 centimetres in a span of 24 hours in the upper Yamuna region to make a flood-like situation in the city. The water level on Friday morning rose, as Haryana had released 45,000 cusecs of water in the river on Wednesday afternoon which reached Delhi on Friday morning.
'We were monitoring release of water by Haryana from Hathni Kund dam, which affects water level. With heavy downpour expected overnight, the Yamuna could breach the danger mark for the third consecutive year this monsoon,' said the official. The normal mark at which the river usually flows is 202.30 metres.
People from several low-lying areas, such as Okhla, Kalindi Kunj, Jamia Nagar, Yamuna Pushta and Wazirabad, have been warned about possible evacuation in case the water level keeps rising. Delhi's irrigation and flood control minister A K Walia said, 'We are fully prepared if any situation arises. I have instructed all the officers to be alert and monitoring the levels on a regular basis. There is nothing to worry for the time being.'
Officials in the department said that an action plan has been drawn to shift people and those near the river bank to temporary shelter camps if the need arises. In 2010 and 2011, the Yamuna breached the danger level by touching 207.11-metre and 205.72-metre mark respectively.
According to an officer of the flood department, the situation had become grim in the last 10 hours, as by 5.30 pm on Friday it had rained 3.9 centimetres. It takes a rainfall of 10 centimetres in a span of 24 hours in the upper Yamuna region to make a flood-like situation in the city. The water level on Friday morning rose, as Haryana had released 45,000 cusecs of water in the river on Wednesday afternoon which reached Delhi on Friday morning.
'We were monitoring release of water by Haryana from Hathni Kund dam, which affects water level. With heavy downpour expected overnight, the Yamuna could breach the danger mark for the third consecutive year this monsoon,' said the official. The normal mark at which the river usually flows is 202.30 metres.
People from several low-lying areas, such as Okhla, Kalindi Kunj, Jamia Nagar, Yamuna Pushta and Wazirabad, have been warned about possible evacuation in case the water level keeps rising. Delhi's irrigation and flood control minister A K Walia said, 'We are fully prepared if any situation arises. I have instructed all the officers to be alert and monitoring the levels on a regular basis. There is nothing to worry for the time being.'
Officials in the department said that an action plan has been drawn to shift people and those near the river bank to temporary shelter camps if the need arises. In 2010 and 2011, the Yamuna breached the danger level by touching 207.11-metre and 205.72-metre mark respectively.
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