The water level in the Yamuna River in Delhi is gradually receding, and no heavy rainfall is expected in the city or the surrounding areas in the near future, according to a government official. Divisional Commissioner Ashwani Kumar announced during a press conference that the situation in the flooded areas of the national capital is also improving.
Recent heavy rains in the upper catchment areas of the Yamuna River caused it to breach its banks, leading to flooding in parts of Delhi. As a result, thousands of people had to be evacuated from low-lying areas.
Kumar stated that there is a declining trend in the water level of the Yamuna River, and significant rainfall is not anticipated in Delhi or the higher reaches of the river in the near future. He also expressed disappointment with elected representatives who have been targeting officers working tirelessly to bring the flood situation under control, emphasizing that baseless allegations should not be leveled against the officers as they distract them from their duties.
The water level in the Yamuna River started receding on Friday after continuously rising for three days. As of 10 am on Saturday, the water level had dropped to 207.43 meters from its peak of 208.66 meters on Thursday evening. However, it still remains more than two meters above the danger mark of 205.33 meters.
Earlier, Water Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that senior Delhi officials, including the divisional commissioner, did not respond to his calls and messages seeking help from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to fix a broken flow regulator. This led to flooding in central parts of the capital, including the Supreme Court, Rajghat, and ITO. In response, Kumar clarified that the NDRF specializes in rescue and rehabilitation work and recommended involving the resources of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department to fix the regulator.
Delhi Revenue Minister Atishi raised concerns about the absence of basic facilities such as drinking water and toilets in relief camps and alleged that the divisional commissioner did not respond to her calls. However, Kumar stated that he had been attending Atishi’s calls and deemed her behavior “unfortunate,” suggesting that her actions were politically motivated.
Regarding water supply in Delhi, Kumar mentioned that the Okhla water treatment plant (WTP) is currently operating at 50% capacity but will be fully functional on Saturday. He expressed hope that the Wazirabad and Chandrawal WTPs would also become operational by Sunday. (With inputs from PTI)
