PM Modi takes stock of Delhi flood situation after landing from foreign visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took stock of the flood situation in Delhi on Saturday night after landing in India following the conclusion of his visit to France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

He spoke to Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena and enquired about the waterlogging and flood situation in the national capital, news agency ANI reported.

“Immediately on his arrival in Delhi, PM Modi spoke to LG of Delhi about the status of the flood-like situation in Delhi due to the Yamuna river and the progress achieved in mitigation,” ANI cited a source as saying.

Earlier on Thursday too, PM Modi had called the Delhi LG from France and enquired about the waterlogging and flood situation in capital and and the efforts being made to tackle the situation.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi called from France and enquired about the waterlogging and flood situation in Delhi and the efforts being made to deal with it in detail. He directed to take appropriate steps in the interest of Delhi by taking all possible help from the Central Government”, Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, the water level in the Yamuna fell to 206.02 metres at 8 am on Sunday from 207.58 metres recorded on Saturday morning at the Old Railway Bridge marker. The water level is expected to fall below the danger mark of 205.33 metres during the day.

The waterlogging problem affecting several low-lying areas of Delhi, including the Ring Road, has improved today as the water level has receded.

A team of army engineers was deployed to plug the gap at ITO from where water had started flowing on to Vikas Marg and Mathura Road. The army engineers have also opened a jammed gate of the ITO barrage to enable the water to flow more smoothly through the river.

A Navy team has also arrived from Mumbai to help the army engineers open the other gates of the barrage which have been damaged and stuck in silt at the bottom of the river. New iron gates are being erected to replace the damaged ones.

The Okhla water treatment plant is being restarted as the water levels in the Yamuna are receding. The government had announced the closure of three water treatment plants — Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla — due to the rising water levels in the Yamuna following days of heavy rains in Delhi and the upper catchment areas of Himachal and Uttarakhand. Work has begun to get the Chadrawal plant going as well.

Haryana has also reduced the release of the water from the Hathnikund barrage upstream which had peaked due to the unprecedented rains in the hills.  However, there is some concern as heavy rains have been forecast for the next three days in the catchment areas of Himachal and Uttarakhand that feed the Yamuna.

Delhi Government said that a total of 25,478 people have been evacuated so far from low lying areas in the national capital.

Sixteen teams of NDRF have been deployed in flood-affected districts in rescue work. The government also said that 45 boats have been deployed for rescue work in case of an emergency.

Officials said that the water level is likely to fall below the danger mark in the next few hours.

The Yamuna River in Delhi crossed the danger mark of 205.33 metres at 5 pm on July 10.

Notably, the Yamuna water level was recorded at 207.58 metres at 8 am on Saturday. At 9 pm on Friday, the water level of Yamuna was recorded at 208.07 metres.

However, Delhi Traffic Police has issued a traffic alert restricting movement on Bhairon marg due to waterlogging under Railway Bridge as water slowly recedes.

“Traffic Alert: Traffic movement on Bhairon Marg is restricted due to waterlogging under Railway Bridge. Commuters are advised to avoid the stretch”, the Delhi traffic police shared in a tweet.

Meanwhile, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams carried out rescue operations in the low-lying areas near Pragati Maidan late on Saturday night as the Yamuna River continues to overflow, officials said, adding nearby areas and key roads remain affected due to waterlogging.

New Delhi Municipal Council’s (NDMC) workers conducted a special night drive to flush out water from Mathura Road, near the Supreme Court area as nearby areas and key roads remain inundated due to heavy rains on Saturday. (ANI)