The Yamuna river in Delhi once again rose above the danger mark on Tuesday morning as heavy discharge from Haryana’s Hathnikund barrage continued. At 9 am, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge was measured at 205.81 metres, crossing the danger threshold of 205.33 metres for the fourth time this season.
According to the Central Water Commission, the water level is expected to rise further and may touch 206.41 metres by 9 pm. Once the river level crosses 206 metres, the Old Railway Bridge is closed for operations. The Delhi administration has already started evacuating families from low-lying areas along the river.
Officials noted that the highest water level recorded this season was 205.95 metres on August 19. Unlike that instance, when the river receded quickly, authorities expect the water level to rise further this time. The irrigation and flood control department confirmed preparations for large-scale evacuation.
The surge follows an exceptionally high discharge from the Hathnikund barrage. On Monday morning, the release touched 3.29 lakh cusecs, the highest this season. Since 4 am on Monday, the hourly discharge has consistently remained above one lakh cusecs. For comparison, during Delhi’s worst flood in July 2023, the barrage maintained above one lakh cusecs for five consecutive days, peaking at 3.59 lakh cusecs.
Experts warn that parts of Delhi’s floodplain, including biodiversity parks such as Amrut and Asita East, as well as riverfront ghats like Vasudev, may get partially submerged. Spread on the Chilla floodplains will depend on further releases from the barrage and Okhla operations.
Authorities issued a flood warning on Monday, predicting that the Yamuna could cross 206.50 metres in the coming hours. Last year, the river reached a record 208.66 metres on July 13, causing widespread flooding across the capital.
Data from the irrigation and flood control department shows the Yamuna has breached the warning level 53 times in the past 63 years, making it a frequent seasonal event. The 205-metre mark has been crossed 43 times, the 206-metre mark 14 times, while the 207-metre level has only been breached four times, most recently in 2023.
The administration has advised residents in flood-prone areas to remain alert and cooperate with evacuation efforts as water levels continue to rise.
