Delhi: Yamuna River Breaches Danger Mark, Control Room Issues Flood Warning

In a similar situation in 2019, the Delhi government had to launch evacuation and relief operations.

The Yamuna river shot above the danger mark of 205.33 metres in Delhi with the water level rising to 205.38 metres at 4 pm on Friday, 12 August.

(Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons, Altered by The Quint)

The Yamuna river shot above the danger mark of 205.33 metres in Delhi with the water level rising to 205.38 metres at 4 pm on Friday, 12 August.

The Delhi flood control room, which had earlier predicted that the water level would breach the danger mark on Saturday, 13 August, issued a warning on the night of 11 August, following heavy rain in the upper catchment areas.

Thirty-four boats and mobile pumps were deployed in anticipation of flooding in low-lying areas. The warning advised all sector officers to keep vigil in their respective areas and take necessary action at vulnerable points.

A flood alert is declared in Delhi when the discharge rate from the Yamuna Nagar-located Hathnikund Barrage crosses the 1 lakh cusecs (2831684.69 liters/second) mark, following which people living near the floodplains and in flood-prone areas are evacuated.

Cusec (1 cusec = 28.32 litres per second) is a unit used to measure flow, especially that of water.

In 2019, the flow rate had peaked at 8.28 lakh cusecs on 18-19 August, and the water level of the Yamuna had hit the 206.60-metre mark.

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