‘Ran With Whatever We Could’: Evacuated Flood Victims on Delhi-Meerut Highway

We spoke to those who were evacuated on 11 July and moved to a temporary shelter along the Delhi-Meerut highway.

Even as heavy rains battered the capital city, the water in the Yamuna rose above the danger mark of 205.33 metres on Thursday, 13 July. This led to the evacuation of over 150 families living in shanties along the banks of the river under the Nizamuddin bridge in Delhi.

(Photo: Aakriti Sanghi)

“I lost my eldest son to pneumonia last year because we were out in the cold and did not have a concrete house. Now we have been moved again because of the rain,” said Sushma Devi, as she fought back tears. Sushma hails from Uttar Pradesh's Budaun, and for two years, she has been living under the Nizamuddin bridge in Delhi. Her husband is a rickshaw puller, and they have five children.

“We picked up whatever we could that night and came to higher land. I got this charpai and some money and clothes. Everything else was swept away,” said Sushma, as she looked at the belongings of her house – cramped under a tarpaulin sheet on a pavement along the Delhi-Meerut highway.

Even as heavy rains battered the capital city, the water in the Yamuna rose above the danger mark of 205.33 metres on Thursday, 13 July. This led to the evacuation of over 150 families living in shanties along the banks of the river under the Nizamuddin bridge in Delhi.

The Yamuna's water level was at its highest on Thursday morning, rising to 208.46 meters from 207.49 meters the day before. The previous record for the highest level of water in the river was 207.49 metres in 1978.

The Quint spoke to those who were evacuated on 13 July and moved to a temporary shelter along the Delhi-Meerut highway.

“Once the water recedes, I will go back down there where my house was,” said Champa Devi, who sweeps the road to earn a living and sustain her family of four. Hailing from Lakhisarai in Bihar, Champa Devi has been living in Delhi for over 10 years. Most of her belongings – clothes and stored food – were swept away with the Yamuna water.

When asked if she feels safe living on the side of a highway with speeding cars, Champa Devi said, "There are policewalas at all times. Safety is not an issue."

“We are getting good food to eat and water to drink. But the plastic sheet has holes and whenever it rains, everything gets wet, lamented Champa.  The food is being provided by Sub District Magistrate (SDM) Office, Preet Vihar as well as several NGOs. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Thursday asked all non-essential government offices, schools and colleges to remain closed till Sunday amidst the alarming flood situation.

“Hum har cheez se pareshaan hain par kya karein? Rone se ghar wapas to nahin milega. Isiliye muskura he lete hain (We are unhappy with whatever is happening but what should we do? Crying will not bring back our home. So I choose to keep smiling), said Rampyari. Originally from UP's Budaun, her family of 12 had moved to Delhi nearly 15 years ago and have been growing vegetables along the banks of the Yamuna. On 11 July, they were evacuated from the Nizamuddin bridge by officials and volunteers of Delhi Civil Defense. Since then, the pavement is their temporary home. 

“All the cattle you see at the bus stop, they are mine. When I saw everyone leaving, I took all my cattle and came to higher ground. I couldn’t have left them behind. They are a source of livelihood,” said Rampyari.

Although satisfied with the food and water arrangement provided by the Delhi government, she said that the food sometimes comes late as late as midnight. On a muggy Friday afternoon, she was drying chapatis on a charpai so that they can be eaten later and do not go to waste.

Satish Kumar, a Delhi Civil Defence volunteer, told The Quint that the evacuation effort has been on for four days. "The evacuees will either stay put in the temporary shelter along the highway or they will be moved to a nearby government school until the monsoon recedes," said Kumar.

“If it rains very heavily, water is bound to seep in and people and their belongings will get drenched. In that case, we will move the people to a school. The SDM office has recommended this action,” Kumar said.

“Ab batao gaaye bhains, bhed, bakri ko school kaise lekar jayenge? (How will we take our cattle to the school),” asked Kesariya, 35, who belongs to UP's Aligarh. Her family of five has been living under the flyover along the Yamuna for 30 years. She used to work as a labourer in a nursery close by.

Kumkum, 7, who has been living in a temporary shelter on the pavement, was tending to her parents' goats while they were away. "School is shut because of the rains. So, I am helping out," she said.

The Quint spoke to PSO Manoj Chandel, who works in the Revenue Department, SDM Office, Preet Vihar and is leading the evacuation efforts in the area. “Our boatmen are stationed here 24X7. They are the first to get calls for rescue," he said.

"The other day they rescued a couple of camels. The night before they saw a corpse adrift. The boatman jumped and brought it to the banks,” Chandel claimed as the family of the deceased mourned under a temporary shelter.

Chandel added that several people living close to the banks refused to leave because they did not want to let go of their belongings. “Bataiye, jaan se zyada kya keemti ho sakta hai (What can be more valuable than one’s life?)" Chandel said.