Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, voiced concern about the rising water level in the Yamuna River on Wednesday, saying the Central Water Commission’s forecast for tonight is bad news for the capital.
According to a Central Water Commission official, the water level in Yamuna is expected to rise to 207.72 metres by midnight after smashing the previous record of 207.49 metres at 1pm.
Kejriwal said the water level in Yamuna is rising despite “no rains in Delhi” in the last two days because of “abnormally high volumes of water being released by Haryana at Hathnikund barrage”. The chief minister sought the central government’s intervention to ensure the water level in Yamuna doesn’t rise further.
“The Central Water Commission predicts 207.72 meter water level in Yamuna tonight. Not good news for Delhi,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.
“The Central Water Commission predicts 207.72 meter water level in Yamuna tonight. Not good news for Delhi,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.
The water level at the Old Railway Bridge broke the 1978 record at 207.55 metres around 1 pm, according to the Central Water Commission’s (CWC) flood-monitoring portal. The water level at the Old Railway Bridge crossed the 207-metre threshold for the first time since 2013 at 4 am.
According to a CVC projection, the river is expected to rise further to 207.72 before staying constant after that.
On Monday night, the river had risen above the 206-meter evacuation threshold, forcing residents of flood-prone regions to move to safer areas and forcing the closure of the Old Railway Bridge to both road and rail traffic.
Delhi saw major floods in 1924, 1977, 1978, 1995, 2010, and 2013.
