Delhi govt issues flood warning after Haryana discharges water into Yamuna

New Delhi: The Delhi government issued a flood warning on Sunday after Haryana discharged more than one lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna river from the HathniKund Barrage in Yamunanagar.

"The first warning is being issued as 1,05,453 cusecs of water has been released into river Yamuna from Hathnikund barrage at 4 pm," the Irrigation and Flood Control department said in an order.

Officials have been instructed to remain vigilant and take necessary measures at vulnerable areas. Quick response teams have also been deployed to raise awareness and warn the people residing within the river embankments.

The Central Water Commission (CWC) warned that the water level in the Yamuna in Delhi is rising and is expected to surpass the danger mark of 205.33 metres on Tuesday.

According to the CWC's flood-monitoring portal, the water level in the Yamuna at the Old Railway Bridge stood at 203.18 metres at 1 pm on Sunday. The warning level is 204.5 metres.

The water level is likely to rise to 205.5 metres between 11 am and 1 pm on Tuesday, the CWC said in an advisory.

Northwest India has seen incessant rainfall over the last two days, with many areas in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan recording "heavy to very heavy" precipitation.

This has resulted in overflowing rivers, creeks and drains, which have damaged infrastructure and disrupted essential services in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

While Delhi recorded 153 mm rainfall in the 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Sunday, the highest in a single day in July since 1982, Chandigarh and Ambala reported a record rainfall of 322.2 mm and 224.1 mm respectively, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The catchment of the Yamuna river system covers parts of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.

The low-lying areas near the river in Delhi are considered vulnerable to flooding and are home to around 37,000 people.