River Yamuna has swelled beyond danger level. Visuals from Loha Pul on Thursday showed the Yamuna River flowing above the danger level, following incessant rainfall in the upper catchment areas.
The river level at the Old Railway Bridge reached 207.48 metres, the highest this season, before beginning a slow retreat. By Thursday 7 pm, the level had marginally fallen to 207.42 metres, with further dip to 207.30 metres on Friday morning.
Authorities in Delhi have sounded alarm, urging residents to stay away from the swollen river and avoid swimming or boating activities. Relief camps have been set up for those displaced, though many remain reluctant to shift.
What is the situation now in Delhi and Ghaziabad?
People from low-lying areas have been evacuated to relief camps near Mayur Vihar Phase I. Monastery Market in Civil Lines remains inundated, while floodwater has also entered relief tents in Mayur Vihar and Yamuna Bazar, worsening conditions for evacuees. In northeast Delhi’s Third Pusta, Usmanpur, several residents were found stranded along with pets and livestock.
In Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh, at least 55 families from Badarpur village in the Loni sub-division were rescued with the help of a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team. Additional District Magistrate Saurabh Bhatt confirmed arrangements for food, including milk for infants, while temporary camps have been set up for the displaced.
Threat of disease
The administration has warned of the risk of vector-borne diseases spreading in relief camps, as stagnant water increases the breeding of mosquitoes. In Majnu ka Tila’s Tibetan Colony, once a bustling hub of cafés, spas, and tattoo parlours, waterlogging has brought business to a standstill. Owners have been forced to shut shops, with damaged equipment and damp interiors worsening the financial blow.
Restaurants, salons, and garment stores remain locked, while residents struggle with the loss of daily income. Many now sleep in their workplaces, uncertain about when normal life will resume.
Will Delhi-NCR get more rain?
For the Delhi-NCR region, while no fresh rain warning was issued for the capital itself, Gurugram and Faridabad were placed under a yellow alert, light rain expected.
The Central Water Commission (CWC) reported that at least 24 river monitoring stations across India were facing a ‘severe flood situation’. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are the worst affected, each with eight such sites, while 27 others across the country recorded ‘above normal’ water levels.