Raging Yamuna crosses 45-year record in Delhi, section 144 imposed

The Delhi Police has imposed section 144 CrPC as a precautionary measure in the flood-prone areas in the national capital as the Yamuna river swelled to 207.25 metres, which is the highest ever in past 45 years. According to the Central Water Commission’s (CWC) flood-monitoring portal, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge crossed the 207-metre mark at 4 am, the first time since 2013, and rose to 207.25 metres by 8 am on Wednesday. Over the last three days, Delhi recorded a rapid increase in the Yamuna water level.  It shot up from 203.14 metres at 11 am on Sunday to 205.4 at 5 pm on Monday, breaching the danger mark of 205.33 metres 18 hours earlier than expected. The rise in water level prompted the relocation of people residing in  flood-prone areas. An official explained that the sharp rise in water level was due to incessant rainfall in the upper catchment areas and saturated soil from heavy precipitation in Delhi and nearby regions over the weekend. 45 boats have been deployed for awareness, evacuation and rescue work and NGOs have been roped in to provide relief to the evacuated people. All district magistrates concerned and their sector committees are alert and are working in coordination with Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Delhi Police, Delhi Jal Board, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board and other stakeholders to deal with the flood situation. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Monday said a flood-like situation is unlikely in Delhi, but the city government is prepared to tackle any eventuality. With inputs from PTI