Evacuation on as Yamuna continues flowing above danger mark

Over 1,000 families have been evacuated from the low-lying areas near the Yamuna till Sunday morning as the river continued flowing above the danger mark in Delhi.

The level of the river rose to 205.46 meters on Sunday after water discharge from Haryana's Hathnikund Barrage and continuous rainfall in the region.

It is expected to rise further to 206.60 meters on July 31. Haryana had released six lakh cusecs of water at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

The water discharged from Hathnikund barrage, which provides drinking water to New Delhi, normally takes 72 hours to reach the city.

"More water is being released from the barrage every hour, which will have an impact on the water level of the river here. We are keeping a close watch on the situation," a Flood and Control Department official told IANS.

"We have established over 750 tents for about 1,000 families in East zone alone. The arrangements for their food is also done. We are shifting the people living in the river bed to the nearest high area," Nodal officer (Preet Vihar) Arun Gupta told IANS.

"Boats have been deployed to tackle any unwanted situation," Gupta said. Quick response teams have also been activated for the emergency.

The evacuation started on Saturday following a sharp rise in the river's level.

Heavy rains continued to lash many parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, with authorities releasing more water at Haryana's Hathnikund barrage during the day.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday held a review meeting with officials concerned on the preparedness to tackle the flood-like situation in low-lying areas of Delhi.

The officers assured Kejriwal that they are alert and prepared for dealing with exigencies.

The Delhi government also requested the Army to be on the standby for any emergency.