'If Delhi is flooded...': Arvind Kejriwal writes to Amit Shah as Yamuna's water level crosses 207 mtr

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying a limited quantity of water should be released from the Hathnikund barrage so that the water level of the Yamuna does not increase further. The Yamuna is flowing above the danger mark due to the release of water from the Hathnikund barrage, which is located in Haryana. Haryana, which is ruled by the BJP, released the water following heavy rainfall in the last few days.

In his letter, the chief minister said the water level in the Yamuna has reached 207.55 metre, above the danger mark of 205.33. So far, the highest the water had reached was 207.49 in 1978, Kejriwal said. "That time the situation had become serious and Delhi was flooded," the chief minister said. With 207.55 metre of water level, Yamuna can be flooded any time. He also said that as per the estimates of the Central Water Commission, the water level of the Yamuna will reach 207.72 tonight, "which is a matter of concern".

Kejriwal said that was rising because of water released by the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana. He requested the home minister to ensure if possible only limited quality of water is released in Yamuna. He further said that the G20 summit is to be held in Delhi in the next few weeks and if flood happens in the city, it won't send a good message to the world. G20 Summit is scheduled to take place in Delhi on September 9 and 10. 

Earlier today, the Yamuna in Delhi swelled to 207.55 metres, breaching its all-time record of 207.49 metres set in 1978. According to the Central Water Commission's (CWC) flood-monitoring portal, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge crossed the 207-metre mark at 4 am, the first time since 2013.

The river is likely to rise further, an official of the irrigation and flood control department said. As a precautionary measure, the Delhi Police imposed section 144 CrPC in flood-prone areas of the national capital on Wednesday, officials said. Section 144 CrPC prevents the unlawful assembly of four or more persons and public movement in groups.

Delhi recorded a rapid increase in the Yamuna water level over the last three days. It shot up from 203.14 metres at 11 am on Sunday to 205.4 at 5 pm on Monday, breaching the danger mark of 205.33 metres 18 hours earlier than expected. The river had exceeded the evacuation mark of 206 metres on Monday night, prompting the relocation of people residing in flood-prone areas to safer locations and a closure of the Old Railway Bridge for road and rail traffic.

Delhi water minister Saurabh Bharadwaj told the media that the city government was prepared to deal with the situation. "We are monitoring the situation and all possible steps are being taken," he said. Embankments are being constructed in the low-lying areas to prevent the entry of floodwater into other parts of the capital in case the Yamuna water level rises further. Major floods in Delhi occurred in 1924, 1977, 1978, 1995, 2010, and 2013.

(With inputs from PTI)