Delhi is in high alert mode with a fresh wave of water from the Yamuna River expected to strike the city over the next 36-48 hours. After the 2023 floods ravaged several parts of the capital, city authorities said they are better prepared this time with desilted riverbeds and all ITO barrage gates open to facilitate free flow of water.
Although the Delhi government asserted that a 2023-type of flooding is not probable, experts and environmentalists identified recurring threats. Encroachment on the floodplain of Yamuna, which was demanded to be razed by the National Green Tribunal, continues to persist. Moreover, detractors contend that concretisation and beautification activities undertaken on the floodplain render these locations more susceptible to damage.
Yet another main issue is the non-availability of hourly discharge data from Delhi's three barrages (Wazirabad, ITO, and Okhla), which experts maintain retards effective flood management and study.
The prediction comes as the Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana saw the discharge cross 3 lakh cusecs, with the level of water in the Yamuna in Delhi set to cross the 206-meter evacuation threshold. Low-lying areas such as Yamuna Bazar, Geeta Colony, and Civil Lines have started being evacuated by authorities, who are seen at risk of flooding despite moderate water levels. Relief camps have been established where affected people are provided with food and accommodation.