Delhi Flood Alert: Yamuna Rises Above 207.48 M, Third Highest Level Since 1963
Image: AI-Skymet
The Yamuna river has once again crossed the danger mark in Delhi, raising concerns across the city. Continuous heavy discharge from Hathnikund barrage in Haryana has pushed the water level beyond 207.48 meters.
As per official records maintained since 1963, this is the third highest level ever observed. Nearly 12,000 people have already been evacuated from low-lying areas. The worst-hit regions include Ring Road, Civil Lines, Bela Road, Sonia Vihar, and surrounding localities. The current water level is already close to what Delhi had witnessed during the historic floods of 1978.
Floodwaters have spilled over onto Ring Road and Outer Ring Road, disrupting traffic movement between Majnu ka Tilla and Salimgarh Bypass. The situation has forced MCD to halt cremations at Nigambodh Ghat, while the Geeta Colony ground has also been submerged. Water has entered Vishwakarma Colony in Jaitpur and Monastery Market in Civil Lines. Rescue operations are underway in several areas, including Jharoda Kalan in southwest Delhi. Meanwhile, a breach in Mungeshpur drain late Tuesday night led to neck-deep water in the surrounding areas.
On Wednesday, heavy rains in the upper Yamuna catchment triggered massive discharges from Hathnikund barrage. At 3 pm, the release stood at 1.6 lakh cusecs, which rose further to 1.78 lakh cusecs by evening — much higher than the usual flow of below 50,000 cusecs. For comparison, during the devastating floods of July 2023, the barrage had released over 1 lakh cusecs continuously for five days, peaking at 3.59 lakh cusecs. That year, large parts of Delhi, including areas near the Red Fort, were inundated.
Fortunately, the situation is expected to ease in the coming days. Weather models suggest a significant decline in rainfall over Delhi and NCR, along with reduced showers in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Over the next 3–4 days, Delhi may experience mainly dry conditions with only isolated spells of rain.
