Yamuna River Surges Past Danger Mark, Evacuation, Relief Plans At The Ready

For the first time since the devastating floods of 2023, the Yamuna river crossed the 206-metre mark in Delhi on Tuesday afternoon, triggering a city-wide flood preparedness review.

At 4 pm, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge touched 206.03 metres, rising further to 206.10 metres by 5 pm and 206.16 metres by 6 pm, according to the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department. The danger level mark for the Yamuna river is 205.33 metres.

Discharges from the Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana, which directly affect Delhi's water level, were recorded at over 1.53 lakh cusecs at 4 pm, before reducing slightly to 1.42 lakh cusecs by 6 pm. Heavy flows were also reported from Wazirabad (83,300 cusecs) and Okhla Barrage (1,02,444 cusecs), increasing the risk of flooding in low-lying areas.

By Wednesday, water level is likely to rise to 206.90 metres.

Government Steps Up Vigil

With the water level climbing steadily, Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma chaired a high-level meeting with District Magistrates from South West, South, South East and Central Delhi. Officials were directed to remain on maximum alert and keep evacuation and relief measures ready.

"All departments are on 24-hour duty. From barrages to pumping stations, every mechanism is under strict monitoring," the minister said after the meeting. "Special attention is being given to the Najafgarh Basin, which is highly vulnerable during heavy rains. The people of Delhi can rest assured that we are fully prepared to meet any flood situation."

24x7 Monitoring And Deployment

The Delhi government has placed engineers and officers across every jurisdiction on round-the-clock duty. Senior officials, including two Chief Engineers, five Superintendent Engineers and 20 Executive Engineers, are stationed along with Assistant and Junior Engineers to respond to emergencies.

Flood-fighting material that has been pre-positioned includes:

• 5.67 lakh empty cement bags for bund reinforcement
• 3,455 cubic metres of stones
• 14,370 wooden ballies
• 58 boats and 675 life jackets
• 24 generators to support relief operations

To prevent waterlogging, 10 fixed pumping stations, 42 installed pumps and 82 mobile pumps have been deployed across vulnerable sites in the city.

Coordination With Barrages

Officials from I&FC Department said real-time hourly monitoring of discharge levels from Hathnikund, Wazirabad and Okhla barrages is underway in coordination with the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Central Water Commission (CWC) and Haryana government.

DJB has stationed staff on flood duty to manage water discharge and drainage, aiming to prevent major waterlogging incidents as the Yamuna continues to swell.

Focus On Najafgarh Basin, Low-Lying Areas

Officials said particular focus is on the Najafgarh Basin, which often faces backflow when the river is at high levels. The South West district administration has been asked to ensure constant patrolling, real-time updates and contingency evacuation plans. Relief centres have also been kept on standby in vulnerable pockets along the river.