As the Yamuna continues to rise in Delhi, water supply hit, schools shut

Yamuna water level rises in Delhi; 23,600 people evacuated, water supply affected, schools closed, govt. offices to work from home. Heavy goods vehicles banned from entering Delhi. Relief teams in place. Political dispute between AAP and BJP govts. over cause of flooding.

A day after hitting a 60-year-high, the water level of the Yamuna continued to rise in the national capital on Thursday. Flood waters submerged areas close to the river’s flood plains, closed arterial roads, and hit the city’s water supply. More than 23,000 people were evacuated, all educational institutions were shut, and the government asked most employees to work from home.

At 8 p.m. on Thursday evening, the water level of the Yamuna in Delhi stood at 208.66 metres. It was expected to gradually go down to 208.45 metres by 3 a.m. on Friday, according to the Central Water Commission. The river breached the ‘danger mark’ of 205.33 metres in the city on Monday evening.

Roads near important locations — including Red Fort, the Income Tax Office area, and Civil Lines — were flooded; a number of areas further away from the river also faced flooding.  

Delhi floods | Updates

The city’s drinking water supply has been affected, with three water treatment plants being closed after they were flooded. The Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that water supply would fall 25%, resulting in a shortage in many areas for the next day or two.

Terming the situation an “emergency”, Mr. Kejriwal urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel and stay indoors. He also announced the closure of all schools, colleges and universities in Delhi till Sunday. All government offices, barring those which cater to essential services, will work from home as well, and the government will issue advisories to private offices to work from home as much as possible, he added.

These decisions were taken at a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority chaired by the Central government-appointed Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena and attended by Mr. Kejriwal and other senior officials.