Yamuna hits season’s peak, then recedes

The water level of the Yamuna river at the Old Railway Bridge peaked this season at 207.48 metres between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Thursday before beginning a gradual decline, according to Central Water Commission (CWC) data.

With discharge from the Hathni Kund Barrage reducing to 1.32 lakh cusecs from 1.5 lakh cusecs a day earlier, the water level is expected to fall further. The CWC flood forecast projects a drop to 207.30 metres by 8 a.m. on Friday.

Floodwaters spilled onto arterial roads, crippling morning traffic across the Capital. Commuters faced major jams at Kashmere Gate, Ring Road, Outer Ring Road, and Kalindi Kunj. Delhi Police issued multiple advisories urging commuters to check routes before hitting the road.

Apart from the Old Railway Bridge, the Old Wazirabad Bridge was closed to vehicles. Floodwaters reached areas around Delhi Secretariat, Mayur Vihar Phase I, Yamuna Bazar, and Monastery Market near Majnu ka Tila.

According to the district administration, 8,018 people have been shifted to tents and 2,030 to 13 permanent shelters. Fogging is under way to prevent vector-borne diseases and chlorine bottles have been distributed in relief zones.

Political backlash

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress accused the ruling BJP of “failing to provide relief” to flood-hit residents and criticised the Delhi government’s top leadership for “not stepping out to help people whose homes have been submerged”.

AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the BJP’s “four-engine government” had collapsed, citing “submerged relief camps, lack of medicines, and children being fed only at midnight”. 

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal took to X to urge “all AAP workers to join hands with the administration in relief and rescue operations and ensure that help reaches every person in need”.

 Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav alleged that the government had “ignored warnings”.  He also warned of a looming health crisis in relief camps due to “poor sanitation” and demanded that the affected families be shifted to permanent shelters.