Delhi reels as Yamuna swells; North India fights rain chaos
New Delhi: North India is grappling with a cascade of weather-induced calamities, wreaking havoc on lives and livelihoods . Torrential rains have triggered landslides in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, paralyzing daily life and crippling the agricultural sector. A surge in the Yamuna river’s water levels, compounded by the release of water from the Hathnikund Barrage by Haryana, has spurred flooding in Punjab and Delhi.
Forecasters warn that the region may brace for intensified hardship in the days ahead. As of Thursday, a total of 12,11,357 cusec of water has been released from Hathnikund Barrage leading to the water level in Yamuna crossing 208.62-metre level breaching the all-time high level of 207.49-metre experienced in 1978. This has led to the closure of 10 schools in low-lying areas of Delhi’s Civil Lines zone and seven schools in Shahadra.
The situation this year has been aggravated due to two reasons—a record rainfall of 153 mm between 8 and 9 July breaking a 41-year record and a record release of more than 12 lakh cusecs of water from Hathnikund. The water level from Yamuna spilled over to major National Highways and roads around ISBT Kashmere Gate, Indira Gandhi Stadium Road, Ring Road near ITO, GT Karnal Road, Old Yamuna bridge in Delhi resulting in disruption in movement of traffic. The situation in Delhi is expected to get worse as 170,000 cusec of water has been released from Hathnikund on Thursday which will reach Delhi in about 24 hours.
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