Kejriwal holds meeting as Yamuna crosses danger mark

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday held an emergency meeting with the Chief Secretary and the Flood Control Department on the possibility of flood in the national capital due to the release of 5 lakh cusecs water from Haryana's Hathnikund barrage.

Kejriwal said that this water is likely to reach Delhi by Sunday evening and that people can call the control room at 1077 for any flood-related emergency.

"This water likely to reach Delhi by tomorrow evening. Wherever administration evacuating people, they are requested to cooperate. All departments put on high alert. For any flood-related emergency, control room no is 1077," he said in a tweet.

The authorities in Delhi have already begun to evacuate hundreds of people living in the Yamuna catchment area as a flood threat loomed following a sharp rise in the river's level.

"Over 10,000 persons have been affected. People earlier living on the river bed and low-lying areas are being shifted out," Nodal Officer, Preet Vihar, Arun Gupta said.

He cautioned that the Yamuna water level is expected to go up further by Saturday night.

"On Saturday morning, over 200,000 cusecs was released into the Yamuna from the barrage -- which provides drinking water to New Delhi," an official told IANS in Chandigarh, adding villagers living along the river have been alerted on the release of excess water.

The official said that water at the Hathnikund barrage along the Haryana-Uttarakhand border had risen to alarming levels owing to overnight downpour in catchment states, making authorities release the extra water.

The Army has been put on alert along with a team from the National Disaster Management Authority.

The Yamuna passes through Yamunanagar, Karnal and Panipat districts in Haryana before entering Delhi.

--IANS

sd-akk/vd