Delhi Floods: Red Fort Closed For Visitors; Schools, Colleges Shut Till Sunday Due To Yamuna's Water Level

Delhi floods: Roads have turned into rivers and water gushed into houses, crematoriums, and shelter homes even as Yamuna's water level stabilised after breaching the all-time record set 45 years ago.

New Delhi: Amid a flood-like situation in Delhi and the Yamuna waters reaching the walls of Red Fort, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Thursday said that the iconic monument will be closed to the public on Friday.

The announcement came after the Directorate of Education (DoE) said that all government and private schools in the national capital will remain shut till July 16 in view of the rising Yamuna water levels. 

"In light of heavy monsoon and rainfall, and to prioritize the safety and well-being, the Red Fort, Delhi will be closed from the 2nd half of 13th to 14th July, 2023," the ASI said in a tweet.

In light of heavy monsoon and rainfall, and to prioritize the safety and well-being, the Red Fort, Delhi will be closed from the 2nd half of 13th to 14th July, 2023. pic.twitter.com/5Cb9lOinWT

— Archaeological Survey of India (@ASIGoI) July 13, 2023

Yamuna water level stabilises but many areas remain inundated

Roads turned into rivers and water gushed into houses, crematoriums and shelter homes, impairing daily life in the national capital, even as Yamuna's water level stabilised after reaching 208.62 metres, smashing the all-time record set 45 years ago by a significant margin.

Central Water Commission (CWC) Director Sharad Chandra said the rate of water flow rate at the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana dropped to 80,000 cusecs at 4 pm.

"The water level has stabilised... It is expected to drop to 208.45 metres by 3 am on Friday," he told PTI.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government banned the entry of heavy goods vehicles, barring those carrying essentials, in the city from four borders, including Singhu.

Delhi flood news: Traffic snarls due rise in Yamuna water level 

With traffic in the national capital, especially east Delhi, severely impaired by the closure of roads due to the overflowing Yamuna, the city's traffic police issued an advisory on the restrictions and regulation of vehicular movement.

According to the advisory, traffic has been impaired on the Mahatma Gandhi Marg between the IP flyover and Chandgi Ram Akhara as well as between Kalighat Mandir and Delhi Secretariat, and on the Outer Ring Road between Wazirabad Bridge and Chandgi Ram Akhara.

The Delhi Metro, the city's lifeline, was also hit as water from the raging Yamuna spilt onto the roads.

Delhi Metro trains were crossing the four Yamuna bridges with a restricted speed of 30 kmph as a precautionary measure, the DMRC said on Thursday. Entry and exit of passengers at the Yamuna Bank Metro Station on the Blue Line were temporarily closed due to the rising water levels of the river.

Twelve National Disaster Response Force teams, equipped with inflatable boats, ropes and other equipment, have been deployed in Delhi to help the administration in its rescue efforts.

According to a spokesperson of the force, three teams each have been deployed in central, east and northeast Delhi while two are stationed in southeast Delhi and one in the Shahdara area of the national capital.

Delhi flood: Capital staring at a water crisis

As the Yamuna waters inundated more areas of Delhi and rescue efforts intensified, the city stared at a drinking water shortage. The Delhi government has decided to cut down supply by 25 per cent following the closure of three water treatment plants -- Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who visited the Wazirabad water treatment plant, warned of rationalising water supply to deal with "acute shortage". He, however, said the water treatment plants will be resumed as soon as the situation turns to normal.

Yamuna's water level breaches all-time record

Delhi recorded a rapid rise in the Yamuna's water level over the past four days. It shot up from 203.14 metres at 11 am on Sunday to 205.4 metres at 5 pm on Monday, breaching the danger mark of 205.33 metres 18 hours earlier than expected.

The river exceeded the evacuation mark of 206 metres Monday night, prompting the relocation of people residing in flood-prone areas to safer locations and the closure of the Old Railway Bridge for road and rail traffic.

The water level breached the previous record of 207.49 metres by 1 pm on Wednesday and the 208-metre mark by 10 pm.

Major floods in Delhi occurred in 1924, 1977, 1978, 1988, 1995, 1998, 2010 and 2013. An analysis of flood data from 1963 to 2010 indicates an increasing trend of floods occurring in September, and a decreasing trend in July, according to research.

The India Meteorological Department has, however, predicted heavy rain in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh over the next few days.