Yamuna river water level receding gradually, say officials

The water level of the Yamuna was receding gradually and the river was flowing below the warning mark in Delhi, officials said on Monday.

"The water level was recorded at 203.95 metres at the Old Railway Bridge at 9 am. It was 203.98 metres at 9 am on Sunday and204.14 metres at 7 pm on Saturday," an official of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department said.

The warning level is 204.50 metres and the danger mark is 205.33 metres.

Water was being released into the Yamuna at the rate of 3,666 cusecs at 9 am from the Hathni Kund barrage in Haryana's Yamunanagar district. The flow rate was8,208 cusecs at midnight, the maximum in the last 24 hours.

"The flow rate has remained below 15,000 cusecs over the last three days, which is not very high. The water level is receding gradually," the official said. A cusec is equivalent to 28.32 litres per second.

The water discharged from the barrage, which provides drinking water to Delhi, normally takes two-three days to reach the capital.

The water level rose on Friday due to the rain in Delhi and neighbouring areas, he said.

The administration has deployed 24 boats, each with two divers, to monitor the situation. More boats and teams of divers are on standby.

Normally, the flow rate at the Hathni Kund barrage is 352 cusecs, but the discharge is increased after heavy rainfall in catchment areas.

Last year, the flow rate had peaked to 8.28 lakh cusecs on August 18-19 and the water level of the Yamuna had breached the danger mark and hit 206.60 metres.

The Delhi government had to launch evacuation and relief operations after the overflowing river submerged many low-lying areas.

In 1978, the river had swelled to an all-time record level of 207.49 metres. In 2013, it had risen to 207.32 metres.