Delhi holds its breath: Yamuna’s water levels refuse to go down

The Indian capital city, Delhi, continues to grapple with a flood-like situation as the water levels of the Yamuna River remain significantly above the ‘danger’ mark.

As of 8 pm Friday, the water level was recorded at 208.12 meters, a stark contrast to the danger mark set at 205.33 meters, highlighting the severity of the situation. Despite gradual receding, the persistently high levels continue to threaten low-lying areas in the city.

Adding to the city’s woes, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a Yellow Alert, warning of moderate rainfall and thunderstorms predicted over the next four to five days. This further raises concerns about the already precarious flood situation in the national capital and its potential exacerbation due to the expected weather conditions.

Water level of Yamuna continues to threaten Delhi despite recession. Photo courtesy of Joseph Thomas from Pixabay.

Meanwhile, city dwellers are facing a serious disruption in the supply of drinking water. There’s a significant shortfall in water supply, with a deficit of 265 million gallons per day (MGD) reported.

As a countermeasure, the water treatment plant at Okhla, which has a capacity of 20 MGD, was brought into operation. However, the two remaining plants in Wazirabad and Chandrawal remain non-operational, increasing the pressure on the city’s resources.

This ongoing situation poses a significant challenge to Delhi’s infrastructure and its residents, calling for immediate attention and effective crisis management.