Delhi Yamuna nears danger threshold as upstream releases rise

The Yamuna River in Delhi rose to levels that crossed the city’s warning line and approached the danger threshold over the weekend, prompting a coordinated flood-management response and precautionary evacuations in vulnerable areas. Officials said the current releases from upstream barrages, combined with heavy rainfall in upper catchment regions, have raised water levels at the Old Railway Bridge, the city’s key observation point for river flow and flood risk. Authorities cautioned that the water could climb further toward 206 metres in the early hours of the following day, with evacuation plans and safety measures already in place.

On Sunday, the river crossed the warning mark of 204.50 metres and climbed to about 205.36 metres at the Old Railway Bridge, triggering enhanced monitoring and contingency planning. Officials stressed that the surge is largely due to intensified releases from Hathnikund Barrage and the Wazirabad Barrage, in response to rainfall across Haryana and Uttarakhand. An advisory noted that the water level “may cross 206.00 around 02 AM on 19th August” if rainfall patterns persist and releases continue at elevated rates. Officials emphasized that the...