Delhi weather updates: Yamuna water level breaches danger mark again; moderate showers likely today

On Wednesday morning, the water level of the Yamuna in Delhi yet again breached the danger mark, with the river flowing at 205.60 metres due to fresh rainfall in the national capital and the upper reaches of the river.

The Central Water Commission's data showed the water level reached 205.48 metres at 8 am and 205.60 metres an hour later, news agency PTI reported. It is expected to rise to 205.72 metres by 6 pm.

This came hours after the Yamuna was flowing below the danger level of 205.33 metres for the first time in a week, after torrential rainfall and release of water from Hathnikund barrage in Haryana created a flood-like situation in parts of the city.

By 8 pm on Tuesday, the water level in the river had dropped below the danger mark of 205.33 metres. It receded to 205.22 metres at 5 am on Wednesday before it started rising again.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday afternoon, the flow rate at the Hathnikund barrage saw a marginal rise, oscillating between 50,000 and 60,000 cusecs, as per the PTI report. It dropped to around 39,000 cusecs by 7 am on Wednesday.

The India Meteorological Department has warned of heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh until July 22 and moderate showers in Delhi on Wednesday.

With the water level rising again, the rehabilation of affected families in the inundated low-lying areas of the capital could see a slowdown. Furthermore, it could also impact the water supply, which became normal only on Tuesday after being affected for four to five days due to the inundation of a pump house at Wazirabad.

It may be noted that the Yamuna river had last week reached an all-time high of 208.66 metres, surpassing the previous record of 207.49 metres set in September 1978 by a significant margin.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in a tweet, had said that many poor families living on the banks of Yamuna have suffered a lot and announced a slew of measures for those impacted.

He said that Rs 10,000 per family will be given as financial help to every flood affected family. Special camps will be organised for those whose papers like Aadhaar card, among others, have been washed away, the Chief Minister said. He also announced that the children whose clothes and books were washed away, will be given these on behalf of the schools.

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