Homes, clothes, books washed away, Delhi flood victims stare at battle to stay afloat

New Delhi: They survived Delhi's devastating floods but now stare at the challenges of the aftermath -- rebuilding a home, restarting a life! Aruna Devi (35) lived in the Yamuna Khadar area before the water of the swollen river came gushing in last week, sweeping away the modest structure she called home and destroying her children's books.

The family was evacuated to a relief camp, and as the water recedes it prepares to come back. Their immediate challenge is that one of them has fallen sick, but their longterm challenges are more daunting.

"I am worried for the education of my children," says Aruna, who worked in agriculture fields. "The flood washed away their books and other essentials. When I went back to get them, the police did not let me. I do not know what I shall do." The consequences of the floods have been devastating with over 26,000 people being evacuated from their homes. The waters inundated key landmarks, roads, monuments and residential areas. The estimated loss of property, businesses and earnings may run into crores.

Varun Nandan (40s), a single parent of three, lost all his belongings and is now worried about his children’s education.

The government has set up multiple relief camps in the city where those rescued from the affected areas are being kept.

At one of the relief camps, Sunita says the food they are being provided is not sufficient for her kids and there are no regular water facilities either.

"I lost my livelihood in the floods. I am worried about how I will rebuild my life," Sunita says.

Parts of the city have been grappling with waterlogging and flooding issues for a week now. Initially, a downpour caused intense waterlogging on July 8 and 9, with the city receiving 125 per cent of its monthly rainfall quota in just two days.

Subsequently, heavy rains in the upper catchment areas, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana, led to the Yamuna swelling to record levels.

The river reached 208.66 metres on Thursday, surpassing the previous all-time record of 207.49 metres set in September 1978 by a significant margin.

The river breached embankments and penetrated deeper into the city than it has in over four decades.

Friday marked a turning point as the raging Yamuna and the resulting backflow of foul-smelling water from drains spilled into prominent locations such as the Supreme Court, Raj Ghat, and the bustling intersection at ITO.

Prior to the misery on Friday, the river water had already reached the rear ramparts of the Red Fort and inundated one of the city's major bus terminals at Kashmere Gate.

The Ring Road, constructed partially over floodplains, remained closed for three consecutive days near Kashmere Gate last week.

The water level of the Yamuna in Delhi followed a downward trend on Tuesday morning after a slight increase on Monday due to rains in catchment areas upstream of the national capital.

However, it is still flowing over two metres above the danger mark of 205.33 metres. It is expected to drop further to 205.41 metres by 7 pm.