Delhi flood situation: 25% of the water supply in Delhi will go down, says CM Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that the national capital could witness a drinking water crisis in some areas as the Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla water treatment plants have been shut down due to the rising water level in the Yamuna river. He said that Delhi's water supply will be hit by a fourth as water has entered pumps and machines in the water treatment plants due to torrential rains.

"We are at the Wazirabad water treatment plant. For the first time in Delhi, Yamuna has touched this level. Three water treatment plants have been shut down due to this as the water has entered pumps & machines. 25 per cent of the water supply in Delhi will go down due to this. The tubewells are closed too. There can be water scarcity for a day or two. I hope that the supply resumes by tomorrow evening," said Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Yamuna swelled to a staggering 208.48 metres on  Thursday morning and is expected to further rise by the afternoon. Nearby streets, the public and private infrastructure are inundated. As a precautionary measure, the Delhi Police imposed Section 144 CrPC in flood-prone areas of the national capital.

On Thursday morning, flood water entered Delhi roads and submerged areas in ITO, Civil Lines. The rise in the water level of the Yamuna river is mainly responsible for the flooding. The rise in Yamuna river in Delhi depends on the release of water from the Hanthikund barrage in Haryana.

On July 12, Kejriwal had written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah saying the city could be flooded anytime. He said the reason behind the water level rising in Yamuna is a high volume of water is being released from Haryana's Hathnikund barrage.

The Delhi metro operations were also affected due to rising level of Yamuna. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said that the approach road leading to Yamuna Bank Metro Station is currently inaccessible due to escalating water levels.

In a tweet, DMRC said, “Due to the escalating water levels of the Yamuna River, the approach road leading to Yamuna Bank Metro Station is currently inaccessible. Kindly plan your journey accordingly and consider alternate routes. However, an interchange facility is available, DMRC said in a tweet."