The Delhi government on Tuesday said it has shifted over 7,000 people to nearly 2,700 tents and rescue shelters after the water level in the Yamuna river went beyond 206 metres.
The Yamuna had breached the ‘danger mark’ of 205.33 metres on Monday afternoon. By 11 p.m. on Tuesday, it had swollen to 206.83 metres, which is its highest recorded level in 10 years, a senior official said. It is expected to rise further to 207 metres by 3 a.m. on Wednesday.
Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the government is in the process of evacuating nearly 41,000 people living close to the river. He added that the city was unlikely to witness floods, except for areas near the river.
The Minister said the government has taken various steps to mitigate the inconvenience caused due to waterlogging. “As many as 100 new mobile pumps have been set up, and super suckers and recycler machines have been installed by the Delhi Jal Board and the Public Works Department to remove silt from drains,” Mr. Bharadwaj said.
Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena inspected the low-lying areas near the Yamuna and visited various waterlogged stretches, including the newly built Pragati Maidan tunnel and the Minto Bridge.
“Nature never hits after a public announcement. We need to be prepared for it. These things have not been done properly for years, causing waterlogging in the city,” he said while speaking to reporters after visiting a flood-affected site at Yamuna Bazar on Tuesday.
“Delhi’s residents are troubled by waterlogging, which has become an annual ritual. Proper cleaning of drains, as well as water treatment and harvesting, is not done,” he said.
The statements prompted strong reactions from the Aam Aadmi Party, which accused him of indulging in “dirty politics”. Mr. Bharadwaj said the L-G was nowhere to be seen over the weekend when the city was deluged by heavy rain.
“For the last six months, the L-G has been visiting the Yamuna and various drains. He has been taking the media along on these visits and claiming credit for de-silting the drains,” the Minister said. “Today, when his claims have been exposed, he is blaming the elected government,” he added.
Meanwhile, a portion of a road near the India Gate C-Hexagon caved in on Tuesday. The Delhi Traffic Police barricaded the affected stretch and put out a tweet alerting commuters. This is the third such incident in the city this month.
