Yamuna water level receding in Delhi, Army engineers fix ITO breach

The water level of the Yamuna in Delhi has declined to 207.98 metres on Friday night after having touched an all-time high of 208.66, according data compiled by the Central Water Commission (CWC).

A team of army engineers were called in on Friday 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 some jammed gates of the ITO barrage to enable the water to flow more smoothly through the river.

Delhi Public Works Department Minister, Atishi said that the water level of the Yamuna is receding gradually at a rate of 0.1 metres and will take a day’s time for the situation to return to normal.

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. 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.

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.