Delhi on alert: DDMA shuts Old Railway Bridge as Yamuna nears evacuation mark; CM Rekha urges not to panic

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has directed a shutdown of traffic on the Old Railway Bridge starting Tuesday evening, as the Yamuna is forecast to touch the evacuation mark of 206 metres.

According to officials, heavy water discharge from the Hathnikund Barrage pushed the river’s level to 204.94 metres at 5 pm on Monday. The warning level in Delhi is 204.50 metres, the danger level 205.33 metres, and evacuations are triggered at 206 metres.

Citing the risk of flooding, the DDMA ordered closure of public and vehicular movement on the bridge from September 2 at 5 pm, with notices sent to Delhi Police and Railways authorities.

he Irrigation and Flood Control Department reported that the Hathnikund barrage released 3,29,313 cusecs of water at 9 am on Monday, while the Wazirabad barrage discharged around 38,900 cusecs as the flood warning was issued.

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Divisional Commissioner Neeraj Semwal said over 3 lakh cusecs are expected to be released from Hathnikund in the coming days. “District magistrates have been alerted about arrangements for food, electricity, and relief camps. They are closely monitoring the situation,” he told reporters.

The heavy discharge pushed the Yamuna’s level to 204.94 metres at the Old Railway Bridge by 5 pm on Monday. In Delhi, the warning level is 204.50 metres, the danger mark is 205.33 metres, and evacuation begins once the river hits 206 metres.

Officials estimate about 15,000 people live in low-lying areas across six districts of the city, with another 5,000 in the floodplains. The Old Railway Bridge remains a crucial observation point for monitoring Yamuna’s flow and flood risk.

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Amid concerns, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta urged citizens not to panic, stressing that water reaching the floodplains is a natural part of the Yamuna’s ecological system. She assured there is no flooding threat to outer Delhi.

On the flood alert in Delhi due to the steadily rising water level of the Yamuna River , AAP MP Sanjay Singh said, “If Arvind Kejriwal still had a government in Delhi, this situation wouldn’t have arisen. People are dying, streets are flooded, but no action is being taken. The current BJP government has failed in every aspect… One rain has exposed the BJP.”