Yamuna swells again, flows over danger mark
The Yamuna on Thursday again crossed the danger mark of 204.83 metres and was flowing at 205.09 metres, posing a flood threat in the capital and the work at the Commonwealth Games Village at Akshardham is likely to see another stoppage on Friday. However, chief minister Sheila Dikshit said that there was no need to panic.
The Yamuna, which was flowing at 205.09 metres at around 8.30 pm on Thursday, forced the authorities to evacuate thousands of people from low-lying areas along the meandering river in the city’s eastern district. “About 99 per cent of citizens living in low-lying areas have been shifted to safer locations and there is no need to panic,” Ms Dikshit told reporters.
The water level in the river rose to 204.73 metres on Thursday afternoon from 204.52 metres in the morning. This came following Haryana releasing 6.60 lakh cusec water on Wednesday and 2.13 lakh cusec on Thursday from the Hathanikund Barrage in Haryana.
Although Haryana released around eight lakh cusec of water in last two days, Ms Dikshit said only 3.5 lakh cusec are expected to reach Delhi.
After a high-level meeting to review the situation, flood control minister Raj Kumar Chouhan said over 100 booster pumps were fitted along the banks of the river to pump out water which may enter the low-lying areas.
Meanwhile, pointing out to a possible stoppage of work at the Games Village, the Delhi government and the Organising Committee stated: “Construction at a few sites in Akshardham area, which includes the Games Village, and few other small Games-related projects will be stopped for a day in a follow up to the flood scare. The Delhi government is likely to issue a notice to the civic agencies to stop the work for a short period on Friday,” said an official of Delhi government’s flood control department.
The city government officials further pointed out that the stoppage of work at these sites is considered after a warning from the flood control department which had stated that the site for the Games Village was not appropriate as it was being built on the flood plains of Yamuna and water could enter it if the river gets swollen. A bandh was constructed to keep the water at bay but now the authorities are keeping a close watch as the water level continues to rise.
Sources in the Delhi government confirmed that a notice is likely to be issued after a brief meeting of flood and control department at the Delhi Secretariat on Friday.
“An inspection team will be sent to the Akshardham Games Project area site on Friday for a review, officials said.” Meanwhile the irrigation and flood department officials of the Haryana government confirmed that around 1,55,567 cusecs of water was released from the Hathnikund barrage that led to the spate in Yamuna.
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