Delhi on high alert as Yamuna set to cross danger mark by 8 PM today

Heavy rainfall pushed the Yamuna River past the 207-metre danger mark in Delhi on Wednesday, flooding homes and shops in low-lying areas and triggering emergency evacuations across parts of the capital.

According to the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, this is the fifth time the river has crossed this critical threshold in nearly six decades, the last instance being in 2023 when it rose to 208.66 metres. The river also breached the 207-metre mark in 2013, 2010, and 1978.

At 1 pm, the Yamuna was flowing at 207.05 metres. The Central Water Commission warned that levels could rise further, potentially crossing 207.40 metres by 8 pm, putting Delhi on high alert.

The danger mark for the Yamuna in Delhi is 205.33 metres, while a warning is issued when it crosses 204.5 metres.

As a precaution, the Old Railway Bridge was closed to traffic, and hundreds of residents from vulnerable zones near the riverbanks—especially in areas like Madanpur Khadar—were moved to safer ground. Many, however, are struggling to cope with the conditions at temporary shelters.

Displaced families complained of inadequate facilities, with many forced to sleep under makeshift plastic sheets in the open. “All our belongings are still inside. We could barely take out a few things. Women are facing a lot of problems as there are no toilets,” said Tayara, a local resident.

Others said they had no food or cooking utensils and were surviving on basic snacks. “We’re eating biscuits and buns. We had to leave without our essentials and there’s no place to cook here,” said another evacuee.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rain across Delhi, the NCR, and parts of Haryana and Punjab, with thunderstorms, lightning, and wind gusts up to 40 km/h likely in the coming hours.