India: The water level in the swollen Yamuna in Delhi rose further during the night, flooding homes, affecting public transport and prompting emergency measures.
The water level in Yamuna was 208.66 metres at 7 pm today as Hathnikund barrage in Haryana continues to release water into the river. The current water level is three metres above the danger mark.
The Arvind Kejriwal government had urged the centre to step in and stop the water discharge, but the centre replied that excess water from the barrage had to be released. The water discharge is expected to reduce later in the day.
The Haryana barrage has filled up due to very heavy rain further north in Himachal Pradesh. The monsoon has brought large-scale destruction in the hill state, bringing down homes and sweeping away bridges.
Over the last five days, the schedule of 342 trains have been hit by the flood. The Northern Railway had to cancel 140 trains.
In Delhi, the posh Civil Lines area was waterlogged. The waters are barely 350 metres from the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the state assembly. Waterlogging has disrupted traffic on several roads, including parts of the arterial Outer Ring Road. Traffic has been diverted to alternate routes, leading to massive jams.
Compounding challenges for those taking public transport, Metro services have also been affected. The Yamuna Bank Metro station on Blue Line has been shut owing to waterlogging on the approach road. Although operations on all lines remain normal, trains are running at a restricted speed on Metro bridges.
