The Yamuna River surges to a seasonal high and approaches the danger level in Delhi. Image: Hindustan Times.
(The Post News)– The Yamuna River’s water level at the Old Railway Bridge in Delhi surged to a seasonal high of 205.15 meters between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Friday, narrowly approaching the danger level of 205.33 meters.
However, as the rainfall in the upper catchment areas halted, the water level began to recede, dropping to 205.13 meters by 5 a.m. and eventually falling below the warning level of 204.5 meters by 8 p.m. According to data from the Central Water Commission, the river’s level decreased from 204.58 meters at 7 p.m. to 204.49 meters at 8 p.m., indicating a gradual decline.
Bhim Singh Rawat, associate coordinator at South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, noted that this was the first time this season the Yamuna’s flood level had crossed the warning level, approaching the danger level in Delhi. Rawat attributed the reduced flood risk for the next few days to the halt in rainfall in the upper catchment areas.
He also highlighted the importance of floods in restoring the river’s hydrological functions and improving water quality by flushing out toxins that accumulate throughout the year. According to Rawat, the recent flood spell helped the river flow freely, temporarily improving its water quality and eliminating the stench.
However, Rawat pointed out several concerning trends. Firstly, the absence of low- or medium-scale flood events so far this season is unusual. Secondly, despite being in the monsoon season, river flows are being diverted in increasing amounts, which affects the river’s natural flow. Thirdly, the river is breaching the warning level in Delhi even with insignificant flows, a phenomenon not observed at dozens of flood monitoring stations upstream and downstream of Delhi.
Rawat also noted that the water level exceeded forecasts twice in the past two days, suggesting that unquantified flows are entering the Yamuna through seasonal rivers and drains downstream of the Hathnikund Barrage. This, he added, could indicate a gradual increase in the riverbed level in Delhi, which warrants further investigation.
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