Floods can still play spoilsport
Heavy incessant rains in Delhi and the subsequent flooding of the Yamuna accompanied by release of water into the river from Haryana pose a threat to the Common-wealth Games with many projects already missing their deadlines due to it. The city authorities have been taking the rain and flood excuse for the delay in several projects.
It now appears, however, that they may end up saying the same thing in September too as there is possibility of “more than normal rainfall” in the north-western region of India, including the states of Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, besides Delhi, in the month.
The weather department officials say that, in July itself, the forecast for August-September with a long period average (LPA) of 98 per cent, predicted in April, was revised to 107 per cent. And now with August drawing to an end, the forecast for September is that it will rain 115 per cent above the LPA in the entire country.
“Our forecast clearly says that there will be widespread rainfall activity in September and 115 per cent above the normal is expected. Though it is difficult to pin-point the exact amount of precipitation that Delhi will receive, the fact is that conditions do exist for more than normal rainfall in the month of September,” said director, Indian Meteorological Depart-ment, B.P. Yadav.
It is to be noted that the water level in Yamuna rises in Delhi only when water is released from the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana after heavy rainfall in the catchment areas in the neighbouring state. Increase in the water level in Yamuna may continue if it continues to rain heavily in Haryana and Punjab.
Climatologically, the monsoon cover remains over the north-western region of India in September but the precipitation is lesser than compared to other parts.
However, rainfall activity, say weather officials, is on the higher side in the nearby areas, which may mean more water reaching Yamuna.
This, in turn, may give rise to flood-like situation staying still further.
With Yamuna flowing above the danger level for the last many days, work had to be stopped at the Commonwealth Games Village as a precautionary measure.
“There is no way one can say that Delhi should feel secure after the current water levels recede in Yamuna. Most of the major floods in the capital have occurred in September and, in 2008, the capital had seen that floods can come twice within the same year,” said Manoj Mishra, an environmentalist working with Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan.
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