Rain adds to worries as Yamuna overflows

NEW DELHI: The Yamuna crossed the 206m level on Sunday as expected, breaching the point at which evacuations are ordered, prompting the government to renew calls for people living in at-risk localities to move to relief camps, with the threat of rains raising the risk of flooding and disruptions in the coming week

- Paras Singh

By 11pm, the river reached 206.46m, swelling close to the 207m level at which it caused significant flooding, choked water treatment plants, and caused drains to backflow a little over a week ago.

The reason for the Yamuna being in spate on Sunday was heavy rain upstream, although the situation stabilised in those regions, bringing some hope the crisis may not immediately spiral out of control.

But a second threat looms for the week: the moderate rains predicted for the city between Tuesday and Thursday. Officials said since Delhi’s drains, especially those that empty into the Yamuna, open into the river at 202m, these will need to be closed, thereby blocking outlet for stormwater.

Delhi cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj stated that government is closely monitoring all locations where water from the Yamuna spilled onto Delhi’s roads earlier this month and that measures have been taken to avoid a repeat, such as constructing flood protection bunds.