New Delhi: The water level in the Yamuna reached 207.48m at 6am on Thursday, maintaining this level for about an hour. This was just a centimetre less than the second-highest mark of 207.49m measured at the Old Railway Bridge in Sept 1978. The level dropped gradually through the day, measuring 207.42m at 9pm. The Central Water Commission expected the level to be at 207.32m by 8am on Friday.For the third day, the Yamuna flowed well above the dangerous mark of 205.33m, forcing more than 12,000 people — from both upscale areas such as Civil Lines and low-lying areas like Wazirabad, Kashmere Gate and Majnu Ka Tila — to seek safety on higher ground. The discharge at Hathnikund barrage in Haryana, which often determines the water level in Delhi, fluctuated between 1.62 lakh and 1.35 lakh cusecs.According to Amol Srivastava, district magistrate (East), the nodal officer for flood relief, over 50 boats and hundreds of volunteers were in the field on Thursday assisting stranded people. “Livestock are being rescued along with families, and special rescue arrangements have been made for the cattle. NGOs and societies, along with govt departments, are providing three meals a day to the displaced. We hadn’t anticipated so many people to be affected.”Carrying excess water discharged from the Hathnikund barrage, situated over 200 km away from the capital in Haryana, the Yamuna breached the 207-metre mark on Wednesday, swelling to 207.41m by 9pm at the Old Railway Bridge, making it the third-highest level ever logged since 1963, and the fifth time the mark surpassed 207m. The river swelled further, achieving a peak of 207.48m on Thursday at 6am before showing a dipping trend to reach 207.42m by 9pm.Prior to this, in Sept 1978, the water level in the river touched 207.49m. In July 2023, when the city faced widespread flooding, the peak level was 208.66m.According to CWC, the Yamuna’s level is expected to drop from Friday, but on Thursday it had already flowed into the city, flooding more areas around Ring Road, Civil Lines, Bela Road, Sonia Vihar, Wazirabad and Shahdara. The authorities claimed to be ready for rescue and relief for however long the situation prevails. In 2023, farmers rescued in Mayur Vihar Phase II couldn’t return home for over two months.
