Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday, tagging a video which showed children playing in floodwaters in Delhi’s Shanti Van, urged everyone “to avoid” playing in the waterlogged areas, as it could be “fatal”.
His appeal came a day after three boys, all aged between 10 and 13, drowned in a ditch while bathing in floodwaters in northwest Delhi’s Mukundpur Chowk area on Friday. These were the first reported deaths due to Delhi floods.
“Reports are coming from several places that some people are going to play or swim or take selfies or shoot videos in waterlogged places. Please do not do this. It can be fatal. The threat of flood is not over yet. The flow of water is very strong and the water level can rise anytime,” Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
The chief minister also said that the water treatment plants at Wazirabad and Chandrawal will start functioning again by Sunday.
“The water level of Yamuna is receding slowly. The situation will normalise soon if there is no more heavy rain. Water is being drained out of Wazirabad and Chandrawal treatment plants. The machines will be dried afterwards. Both the plants will be started by tomorrow,” he tweeted in Hindi, adding, “Kindly follow precautions and help one another.”
The swollen Yamuna river has been retreating with the water level coming down to 207.48 metres by 10 am on Saturday from its peak of 208.66 metres at 8 pm on Thursday. However, it is still over two metres above the danger mark of 205.33 metres.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), meanwhile, removed the speed restrictions on the movement of trains on the Yamuna bridges as the water level of the river receded. “Speed restriction imposed while crossing Metro bridges over Yamuna has been removed. All trains are running at normal speed now,” it said in a tweet.