Yamuna levels rise above danger mark after dipping below it 1st time in 7 days

The Yamuna water levels rose above the danger mark (205.33m) to 205.48m at 8am on Wednesday a day after they dipped below it for the first time in eight days.

Officials said the water levels were at 205.24m around 3am on Wednesday. They were expected to rise further and stabilise even as there was a forecast for rain in Delhi and the National Capital Region.

Residents of clusters and hutments on the river’s floodplains began returning to the remains of their homes after the water levels fell to 205.28m at 11pm on Tuesday.

“Water levels are above the danger mark at the Delhi Railway Bridge. As per current indicators, the water levels will rise until about 6-7pm [on Wednesday]…[to] around 205.72m. Thereafter, they will likely remain steady,” said the official, who did not want to be named.

The water levels increased on Wednesday as schools shut last week were set to reopen. The Yamuna swelled up and submerged swathes of the Capital last week. A short spell of rain on Tuesday flooded parts of the Ring Road between Rajghat and IP flyover in central Delhi.

Authorities have cautioned people against leaving relief camps built across central and east Delhi as the uptick in water levels posed danger to areas other than the floodplains.

Health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday held a meeting with representatives of all departments to review the preparedness to tackle vector-borne diseases. Officials said people in flood relief camps have reported conjunctivitis, skin allergies, and fever.

The water levels in the Yamuna have been rising and dipping sporadically. They increased from 205.45m at 6am to 206.01m at 11pm on Monday after a steady drop in over three days. The Delhi government and the irrigation and flood control attributed this to local contributions from drains and regional rainfall.

The river reached an all-time high level of 208.66m at 6pm on July 23, breaking previous records and flooding low-lying parts of the city.