Page 9 - Yamuna River

Life upended for Delhi's ghat-dwellers as Yamuna breaches 45-year record

Days spent swimming to their homes to salvage their belongings; nights spent cramped in makeshift camps

CrPC section 144 imposed in Delhi's flood-prone areas as Yamuna rises

The Delhi Police imposed prohibitory measures under CrPC section 144 in flood-prone areas of the city on Wednesday as the Yamuna river swelled to 207.55 metres, breaching its record of 207.49 metres set in 1978. The CrPC's section 144 prevents unlawful assembly of four or more persons and public movement in groups. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority issued an advisory asking people to move to safer places and cautioning them against passing through low-lying areas. As the flood situation persisted in the Yamuna river, people should stay away from power lines and reach out to the helpline 1077 in case of any need, it said. Delhi Cabinet Minister Atishi is visiting relief camps to take stock of the flood situation and the preventive measures taken. She said the Delhi government is strengthening river embankments and evacuating people out of the floodplains. According to officials, Garhi Mandu village near the Signature Bridge in Wazirabad has been submerged. A majority of the .

Intervene to ensure Yamuna levels don't rise further: CM Kejriwal to Centre

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday urged the Centre to intervene to ensure that levels of the Yamuna, flowing at an all-time high of 207.55 metres, don't rise further. The Yamuna has breached its all-time record of 207.49 metres set in 1978, government agencies said on Wednesday. Sharing an update on Yamunal water levels, Kejriwal said on Twitter, "Central Water Commission predicts 207.72 meter water level in Yamuna tonite. Not good news for Delhi. "There have been no rains in Delhi last 2 days, however, levels of Yamuna are rising due to abnormally high volumes of water being released by Haryana at Hathnikund barrage. Urge Centre to intervene and ensure that levels in Yamuna don't rise further. Highest Flood Level 207.49m (in 1978). Current Level 207.55m.

Raging Yamuna nears all-time record level in Delhi, touches 207.49 mt mark

The Yamuna river in Delhi swelled to 207.25 metres and was flowing precariously close to the all-time record level of 207.49 metres reached in 1978, government agencies said on Wednesday. According to the Central Water Commission's (CWC) flood-monitoring portal, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge crossed the 207-metre mark at 4 am, the first time since 2013, and rose to 207.25 metres by 8 am on Wednesday. It is expected that the river will rise to 207.35 metres by 12 noon on Wednesday and continue to rise further, an official of the irrigation and flood control department said. Delhi recorded a rapid increase in the Yamuna water level over the last three days. It shot up from 203.14 metres at 11 am on Sunday to 205.4 at 5 pm on Monday, breaching the danger mark of 205.33 metres 18 hours earlier than expected. The river had exceeded the evacuation mark of 206 metres on Monday night, prompting the relocation of people residing in flood-prone areas to safer locations and a clos

Yamuna water level in Delhi highest in 10 yrs, Old Railway Bridge shut

The Yamuna river in Delhi swelled to the highest recorded level in 10 years on Tuesday and is expected to rise further, officials said on Tuesday. According to the Central Water Commission's (CWC) flood-monitoring portal, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge rose from 205.4 metres at 5 pm on Monday to 206.76 metres at 8 pm on Tuesday as Haryana discharged more water into the river from the Hathnikund barrage in Yamunanagar. It is expected that the river will rise to 207 metres in the early hours on Wednesday and continue to rise further. Delhi recorded a rapid increase in the Yamuna water level over the last two days. It shot up from 203.14 metres at 11 am on Sunday to 205.4 at 5 pm on Monday, breaching the danger mark of 205.33 metres 18 hours earlier than expected. The river had exceeded the evacuation mark of 206 metres on Monday night, prompting the relocation of people residing in flood-prone areas to safer locations and a closure of the Old Railway Bridge for road and ra

Waterlogging, road cave-in, jams disrupts traffic in Delhi, check advisory

Delhi traffic was affected due to waterlogging in the Pragati Maidan tunnel and the cave-in at India Gate. Authorities begin relocating people as the Yamuna River crosses the danger mark

Evacuation begins in nearby areas of Yamuna as it swells further in Delhi

The Yamuna in Delhi has exceeded the evacuation mark of 206 metres, prompting the relocation of people residing in flood-prone areas to safer locations, officials said on Tuesday. The river crossed the danger mark of 205.33 metres in Delhi on Monday evening, much earlier than anticipated. According to the Central Water Commission's (CWC) flood-monitoring portal, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge rose to 206.28 metres by 6 am on Tuesday with Haryana releasing more water into the river from the Hathnikund barrage in Yamunanagar. It is expected that the river will rise to 206.65 metres by Tuesday afternoon, before gradually subsiding. Addressing a press conference on Monday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said a flood-like situation is unlikely in Delhi, but the city government is prepared to tackle any eventuality. He had said the evacuation of people from low-lying areas will start once the river breaches the 206-metre mark. An official from East Delhi district said th

Yamuna inches closer to warning mark as Haryana releases more water

The Yamuna inched closer to the warning mark in Delhi as Haryana released more water into the river from the Hathnikund barrage amid persistent rains in the upper catchment areas. According to a flood bulletin, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge increased from 203.18 metres at 1 pm on Sunday to 203.58 metres at 10 am on Monday. The warning level is 204.5 metres. The water level is anticipated to rise to 205.5 metres between 10 am and 12 noon on Tuesday, crossing the danger mark of 205.33 metres. The irrigation and flood control department said the flow rate at the Hathnikund barrage gradually increased from 1,05,453 cusecs at 4 pm on Sunday to 2,54,806 cusecs at 10 am on Monday. Normally, the flow rate at the barrage is 352 cusecs, but heavy rainfall in the catchment areas increases the discharge. The water from the barrage takes around two to three days to reach Delhi. The Delhi government issued a flood warning on Sunday and started shifting people living close to the riv

Delhi CM calls meet to discuss waterlogging, rising water level in Yamuna

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting on Monday to discuss waterlogging caused by torrential rains in the city and Yamuna's rising water levels, officials said. The meeting will be held at the Delhi Secretariat. It will be attended by senior officials of the Irrigation and Flood Control department and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Delhi recorded 153 mm of rain in a 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Sunday, the highest in a single day in July since 1982, the India Meteorological Department said. The Delhi government issued a flood warning on Sunday as Haryana released more than one lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna river from the Hathnikund barrage. The irrigation and flood control department said this was the first warning, with 1,05,453 cusecs of water discharged at 4 pm. The Central Water Commission (CWC) said the water level in the river in Delhi is rising and is expected to surpass the danger mark of 205.33 metres on Tuesday. According to the CWC

Monsoon woes: Flood warning in Delhi as Haryana releases water into Yamuna

The Delhi government issued a flood warning on Sunday after Haryana discharged more than one lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna river from the HathniKund Barrage in Yamunanagar. "The first warning is being issued as 1,05,453 cusecs of water has been released into river Yamuna from Hathnikund barrage at 4 pm," the Irrigation and Flood Control department said in an order. Officials have been instructed to remain vigilant and take necessary measures at vulnerable areas. Quick response teams have also been deployed to raise awareness and warn the people residing within the river embankments. The Central Water Commission (CWC) warned that the water level in the Yamuna in Delhi is rising and is expected to surpass the danger mark of 205.33 metres on Tuesday. According to the CWC's flood-monitoring portal, the water level in the Yamuna at the Old Railway Bridge stood at 203.18 metres at 1 pm on Sunday. The warning level is 204.5 metres. The water level is likely to rise to 205.5 metres

Yamuna water level in Delhi may breach danger mark on Tuesday: CWC

The water level in the Yamuna river in Delhi is rising and is expected to breach the danger mark of 205.33 metres on Tuesday, the Central Water Commission (CWC) has said. According to the CWC's flood-monitoring portal, the water level in the Yamuna at the Old Railway Bridge stood at 203.18 metres at 1 pm on Sunday. The warning level is 204.5 metres. The water level is likely to rise to 205.5 metres between 11 am and 1 pm on Tuesday, the CWC said in an advisory. Northwest India has seen incessant rainfall over the last two days, with many areas in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan recording "heavy to very heavy" precipitation. While Delhi recorded 153 mm of rainfall in a 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Sunday, the highest in a single day in July since 1982, Chandigarh and Ambala reported record rainfall of 322.2 mm and 224.1 mm respectively, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The catchment of the Yamuna river system covers

Navy carries out navigability assessment of Yamuna river, say officials

The Indian Navy on Saturday successfully carried out the navigability assessment of the Yamuna river, from Signature Bridge to ITO barrage, in Delhi with the help of a workboat, Raj Niwas officials said. Terming it a historic first, they said such trials were earlier planned and contemplated, but could never be taken to conclusion due to various problems associated with the Yamuna like lack of required depth, floating debris in water and the unhygienic condition of the river bank. The workboat was brought to the city by the naval authorities on the initiative of Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, who has been actively monitoring the rejuvenation of Yamuna as chairman of the NGT-appointed high-level committee (HLC), officials said. After the successful completion of physical cleaning of the river and its floodplains between Signature Bridge and ITO Barrage, the LG had decided to undertake this venture by requisitioning for a navy boat. The navy workboat, which is 11 m long with a draft

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Delhi L-G office slams Saurabh Bhardwaj over remarks on Yamuna's cleaning

This comes after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bhardwaj challenged Delhi LG to present any new projects he has initiated before "taking credit" for the work done by the Arvind Kejriwal govt

'Strange' that L-G takes credit for Yamuna's improvement: Saurabh Bhardwaj

Delhi Water Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj on Sunday said it is "strange" that Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena takes credit for the improvement in the Yamuna river's water quality while all accountability lies with the Kejriwal government. In a statement released by his office, Bhardwaj said no significant improvement in the Yamuna water quality could be achieved without enhancing the quality and capacity of sewage treatment plants. "It is quite strange that any improvement in the pollution of Yamuna is claimed by the LG while all the accountability and answerability lies with the Arvind Kejriwal government," Bhardwaj said. Bhardwaj said the reference parameters for sewage treatment plant functioning were recently changed nationwide, and states have started rehabilitating their STPs accordingly. The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has been at the forefront of these efforts. It has already awarded contracts to professional firms for the rehabilitation of 11 STPs, aiming to upgrade them to the lates

Yamuna shows signs of improvement with dip in biochemical oxygen demand

The BOD levels in the Najafgarh drain here have reduced by 33 per cent compared to last year, improving the overall health of the Yamuna river, according to Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) data. The drain accounts for around 70 per cent of the wastewater being discharged into the Yamuna. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), an important parameter to assess water quality, is the amount of oxygen required by aerobic microorganisms to decompose organic material present in a water body. A BOD level of less than 3 milligrams per litre is considered good. The DPCC data was shared during a high-level committee meeting headed by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Friday. According to a statement from the LG secretariat, a month-wise comparison of the DPCC data shows a "consistent improvement" in the water quality of the Najafgarh drain and the Yamuna. The DPCC data showed the BOD level in the Najafgarh drain this January was 53 mg/l, an improvement from 80 mg/l recorded in January las

People form human chain along Yamuna to save river from heavy pollution

A large number of people gathered along the Yamuna river banks to form a human chain on early Sunday morning under a citizen-centric initiative to save the river from heavy pollution. Under the 'Yamuna Sansad' initiative, people formed the human chain at many places, including ITO, Wazirabad, Kalindikunj, Geeta Colony and Old Usmanpur, raising the demand to revive the river overburdened with sewage and industrial waste discharged in it. A large number of representatives of social, cultural and religious organisations too participated in the campaign. Many politicians, including former BJP organisation secretary Govindacharya, Delhi AAP convener and Arvind Kejriwal government minister Gopal Rai, and Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, too attended the campaign. 'Yamuna Sansad' convener Ravi Shankar Tiwari said the human chain was formed expressing peoples' resolve to contribute to reviving the Yamuna that has been "rendered into a drain despite years of efforts by governments to clea

22-km human chain to raise issue of Yamuna Pollution in Delhi on Jun 4

Citizens of Delhi-NCR are coming together to breathe life back into the ailing Yamuna. A group of concerned citizens is rallying thousands of people to form a 22-kilometre human chain on the banks of the Yamuna on June 4 to draw the attention of the authorities concerned to the sorry state of the river, which is plagued by pollution and degradation. The chain will extend from Wazirabad to Okhla in Delhi, a 22-kilometre stretch that accounts for 75 per cent of the river's pollution load. Twenty-two drains fall into the river in this stretch. This will probably be the biggest such effort to sensitise the people of Delhi and ensure their participation in cleaning the Yamuna, said the members of the "Yamuna Sansad", a campaign launched by environmentalists, conservationists, academicians and researchers working to revive the river. Experts say untapped waste water from unauthorised colonies and jhuggi-jhopri clusters, and the poor quality of the treated waste water discharged from sewa

Himachal CM Sukhu discusses water sharing issue with Kejriwal in Delhi

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met with his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi and discussed water sharing agreements of Renuka and Kishau hydro projects, an official statement said on Monday. In the Sunday evening meeting, various common issues between both states were discussed besides electric supply for the upcoming Bulk Drug Park in Una district with the support of Bhakra Beas Management Board, it said. Sukhu said that high-level discussions will be held for the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Delhi and Himachal Pradesh governments regarding Yamuna River water sharing.

Eviction fears haunt farmers on Yamuna floodplains after DDA demolitions

After 'anti-encroachment' drive in Delhi, displacement of decades-old residents raises questions about the rights of environment and humans