Date:19/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/19/stories/2008081959260300.htm

New Delhi

Yamuna continues to rise

Staff Reporter

Camps set up to help people living in low-lying areas

– Photo: Anu Pushkarna

Flood havoc: Villagers from Usmanpur area shifting to safer place after flood at the village in the catchment area of Yamuna river in East Delhi on Monday.

NEW DELHI: As the Yamuna continued to rise, the water level touched 205.68 metres on Monday. Taking note of the rising river level, the administration set up camps to enable people living in low-lying areas to move out of their dwellings.

Alerts have been sounded and people living in the flood-prone areas have been advised to move to safer areas. Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta with the Divisional Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners and the Chief Engineer (Irrigation and Flood) reviewed the flood situation in the city.

According to officials, thought the river level is rising gradually, it is expected to start declining within the next 24 hours because of the dry conditions prevailing in the catchment area for the past 48 hours.

The administration has set up about 100 tents at Usmanpur and Batla House/Dhobi Ghat for providing shelter to the people.

According to officials, though three tents have also been put up at Nigam Bodh Ghat/Yamuna Bazar, people were continuing to stay in their jhuggies.

In Chilla village in Mayur Vihar Phase-I, 25 families had to be moved to a school and were being provided cooked food by non-government organisations.

“Dry ration, floodlights, medical facilities and drinking water are being provided in the affected areas. NGOs have also joined the rescue efforts and are providing cooked food wherever required,” said official sources.

The Irrigation and Flood Control Department has closed many of the sluice gates at important points to stop the backflow of water at Vijay Ghat, Metcalf House, Jahangirpuri Drain, Najafgarh Drain and other supplementary drains. On the main drains, regulators are being managed to ensure that there is no backflow in the upper areas of the colonies, officials said.

Control rooms

Control rooms have been also been set up at various places to keep round-the-clock tab on the water flow and to assist people in locating camps set up by the administration.

Sources said about 70-80 evacuated in Chilla village.

To save the city from being flooded, about 1,20,000 cusecs of water is being released from Wazirabad, while 1,00,000 cusecs and 58,000 cusecs are being released from ITO and Okhla respectively.