BIG BREAKING: India Gate Is Going To Be Flooded Soon? Delhi On High Alert As Yamuna Water Level Crosses Warning Mark

New Delhi: With the Yamuna swelling to a staggering 208.48 metres, Delhi's prominent India Gate is not far from being flooded, as areas like ITO, Red Fort and Delhi Secretariat are already submerged. India Gate is only three to four kilometres away from the bank of the Yamuna, and even closer to the flooded Ring Road and IP Flyover. On the other hand, the floodwater has spilt into major areas of Northeast Delhi like Kashmere Gate, Majnu Ka Tilla, and Civil lines. The Yamuna River has risen to a staggering 208.48 metres on Thursday. The water level of the river has increased rapidly in the last three days, breaking the previous record of 207.49 metres set 45 years ago by a significant margin. As the Yamuna water level rises, the Delhi Secretariat that houses offices of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his cabinet and other senior bureaucrats, was flooded on Thursday. The road from Rajghat to Delhi Secretariat was also submerged.

Flooding at vicinity around India Gate is going to affect the work at the top government offices and lead to major traffic disruptions. The area houses Prime Minister's office, President's residence, offices of four important ministries of Home, Finance, Defence and External Affairs.

Important union government offices such as Rail Bhawan, Udyog Bhawan, Shashtri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan are located close to the Kartavya Path adjoining India Gate.

Rise in water level has caused immense problems for people living near the river. With more water to be released from the Haryana's Hathnikund barrage, the upcoming areas that house the Indian parliament, Supreme Court and India Gate can also be submerged.

What Is Causing The Yamuna's Water Level To Rise?

The heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh has filled up the Hathnikund barrage. The overflow of water from the barrage has had a significant impact on the rising water levels in the Yamuna River. There are two major barrages on the Yamuna -- Dakpathar in Dehradun and Hathnikund in Yamunanagar, upstream of Delhi. There are no dams on the river and, therefore, most of the monsoon flow remains unutilised, resulting in floods during the season.

A senior official at the Central Water Commission (CWC) said, "We noticed that the water released from the Hathnikund Barrage took less time to reach Delhi compared to previous years. The main reason could be encroachment and siltation. Earlier, the water would have had more space to flow. Now, it passes through a constricted cross-section."

Manu Bhatnagar, Principal Director of the Natural Heritage Division at the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), identified extreme rainfall in a short duration as the primary reason for the raging Yamuna in Delhi.

Country representative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Yashveer Bhatnagar, attributed the record water level in the Yamuna to intense rainfall in the entire upper catchment area.

Delhi's Flood-Affected Areas

As the Yamuna water level rises, the Delhi Secretariat that houses offices of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his cabinet and other senior bureaucrats, was flooded on Thursday. The road from Rajghat to Delhi Secretariat was also submerged.

Officials said the Ring Road stretch between Kashmere Gate and Purana Lohe Ka Pul was flooded and closed for traffic movement. An order by the District Magistrate (East) said Shamshan Ghat in Geeta Colony was closed due to the extreme rise in water levels.

Meanwhile, water from the overflowing Yamuna river reached ITO, a key route to commute from east Delhi to central Delhi and Connaught Place. Apart from this, areas like Boat Colony, Geeta Colony, some parts of Gandhi Nagar, Ashok Nagar and Pandav Nagar were also inundated.

Areas such as the Ring Road in the Civil Lines area have experienced flooding, leading to the closure of the stretch connecting Majnu ka Tila with Kashmiri Gate ISBT. Traffic on the GT Karnal Road in the national capital was disrupted as the Yamuna waters crossed the warning mark while the area near Nigam Bodh Ghat in Delhi was flooded.

Due to the rise in the water level of Yamuna and resultant inundation of low-lying areas, traffic movement has been affected on Mahatma Gandhi Marg between IP Flyover and Chandgi Ram Akhara, Mahatma Gandhi Marg between Kalighat Mandir and Delhi Secretariat and Outer Ring Road between Wazirabad Bridge and Chandgi Ram Akhara.