New Delhi: The national capital is on high alert following a flood-like situation due to constant rainfall over the last three days. The water level in Yamuna River at Old Delhi Railway Bridge has been recorded at 205.50 on Sunday morning.


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"The water level in Yamuna river is at 205.46 m (above danger mark). Till now, 1500 people have moved from low-lying areas. 550 tents pitched across 10 locations in East district. If more people need to be evacuated and accommodated, we have schools and night shelters," said the District Magistrate, East Delhi.



Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Saturday held an emergency meeting with the Chief Secretary and the Flood Control Department on the possibility of flood in the city due to the release of 5 lakh cusecs water from Haryana's Hathnikund barrage.


The water is likely to reach Delhi by Sunday evening and that people can call the control room at 1077 for any flood-related emergency, the Chief Minister had added.


"This water likely to reach Delhi by tomorrow evening. Wherever administration evacuating people, they are requested to cooperate. All departments put on high alert. For any flood-related emergency, control room no is 1077," he tweeted on Saturday.


The meeting was attended by MLAs of the vulnerable areas, officials of Delhi Police, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), urban development, Irrigation and Flood Control, Army, MCDs, PWD, Delhi Jal Board, CATS, Health, Revenue, DDMA and other stakeholder departments. 


The authorities in Delhi have, meanwhile, begun to evacuate hundreds of people living in the Yamuna catchment area as a flood threat loomed following a sharp rise in the river's level.


"Over 10,000 persons have been affected. People earlier living on the river bed and low-lying areas are being shifted out," Nodal Officer, Preet Vihar, Arun Gupta said.


In the meeting, Kejriwal said that the supply of power, food and drinking water to the people must be ensured. Medical emergency teams will also be on duty for the people who are being evacuated.


All power companies have been asked to arrange power in these tents 24*7 once people are shifted into them. The power companies have been asked to deploy their officials at the Flood Control Room round the clock.


The availability of motorboats must be ensured, Kejriwal said in the meeting. All the agencies having motorboats were asked to keep them ready for evacuation.


DUSIB, Power, Health and other departments have been asked to deploy their officials in the control rooms 24*7 for the next three to four days.


The Chief Minister cautioned that the Yamuna water level is expected to go up further by Saturday night.


"On Saturday morning, over 200,000 cusecs was released into the Yamuna from the barrage - which provides drinking water to New Delhi," an official said, adding villagers living along the river have been alerted on the release of excess water.


The official said that water at the Hathnikund barrage along the Haryana-Uttarakhand border had risen to alarming levels owing to overnight downpour in catchment states, making authorities release the extra water.


The Army has been put on alert along with a team from the National Disaster Management Authority.


The Yamuna passes through Yamunanagar, Karnal and Panipat districts in Haryana before entering Delhi.


(With inputs from agencies)