Yamuna breaches danger mark again; another spell of floods anticipated in Delhi

The water level of the Yamuna in Delhi breached the danger mark again on Sunday following a surge in discharge from the Hathnikund Barrage into the river after heavy rain in parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal PradeshFurther increase in the water level of the river is expected to impact relief and rehabilitation work in the floodaffected lowlying areas of the capital officials saidRevenue Minister Atishi on Saturday said the Delhi government is on high alert due to discharge of over 2 lakh cusecs of water from the Hathnikund Barrage into the river and that some parts of Yamuna Khadar floodplains might get inundated if the water level rises to 2067 metresThe river water level had been hovering around the danger mark of 20533 metres for the last few days after reaching an alltime high of 20866 metres on July 13The Central Water Commissions CWC data showed the water level rose from 20502 metres at 10 pm on Saturday to 20596 metres at 9 am on Sunday It is expected to reach 2067 metres by 4 pmThe India Meteorological Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rain in parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand till July 25According to the CWC data the flow rate at the Yamunanagarlocated Hathnikund Barrage crossed the 1 lakhmark at 9 am on Saturday and oscillated between 2 lakh and 25 lakh cusecs between 10 am and 5 pm Since then it has remained between 15 lakh cusecs and 2 lakh cusecsThis significant volume of water poses a risk of midscale floods in the capital which is still recuperating from one of the worst flood spells it experienced in the second week of JulyThe second spell of floods will likely see the Yamuna river reclaiming most of its floodplain in Delhi Given the valuable insights gained from the last flood spell this month city planners and policy makers must take note of the lessons learned Citizens are counting on the swift response of authorities expecting all the gates of the ITO barrage to be opened and fully functionalAdditionally immediate attention should be given to fix any breached sites and bunds said Bhim Singh Rawat associate coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams Rivers and PeopleThere have been marginal fluctuations in the water level over the last four to five days amid rain in the upper catchment areas primarily in Himachal Pradesh and UttarakhandDelhi Irrigation and Flood Control Department officials said heavy rains upstream of Delhi will impact rehabilitation of the affected families in the inundated lowlying areas of the capital and they may have to stay in relief camps for a longer periodIt could also impact the water supply in the city which became normal only on Tuesday after being affected for four or five days due to the inundation of a pump house at WazirabadThe pump house supplies raw water to Wazirabad Chandrawal and Okhla treatment plants which together account for around 25 per cent of the citys supplyParts of Delhi have been grappling with waterlogging and flooding for more than two weeks nowInitially a downpour caused intense waterlogging on July 8 and 9 with the city receiving 125 per cent of its monthly rainfall quota in just two daysSubsequently heavy rains in the upper catchment areas of the Yamuna including in Himachal Pradesh Uttarakhand and Haryana led to the river swelling to record levelsAt 20866 metres on July 13 the Yamuna surpassed its previous record of 20749 metres set in September 1978 by a significant margin It breached embankments and penetrated deeper into the city than it has in over four decadesThe consequences of the floods have been devastating with more than 27000 people evacuated from their homes The losses incurred in terms of property businesses and earnings have run into croresExperts attribute the unprecedented flooding in Delhi to encroachment on the river floodplain extreme rainfall within a short span of time and silt accumulation that has raised the riverbedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever