IMD issues yellow alert for Delhi; expect heavy downpour

NEW DELHI: The India Meteorological Department on Monday issued a 'yellow alert' for the national capital while the Yamuna River in Delhi, which was flowing above warning level for hours, crossed the danger mark of 205.33 metres at 5 pm on Monday, the latest data from the flood control department said.

Moreover, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj stated that the government is on alert mode and that is fully prepared to control the situation after the administration issued a flood alert following the release of a significant amount of water, totaling over one lakh cusecs, into the Yamuna River from the Hathnikund barrage by Haryana. Additionally, at 1 pm on Monday, 1,90,837 cusecs of water was released from the same barrage.

Roads in several parts of the capital were submerged in knee-deep water as it was inundated with 153 millimetres of rain, the highest precipitation in a single day in July in 40 years. "Delhi government is on full alert. As the water will go above 206 metres, we will start shifting people, living on the banks.

The process of taking them safely to the relief camp will be started. Earlier we were feeling that the water level would cross 205 meters on June 11, but it has crossed 205 meters today itself because more water is being released from Haryana," he told ANI. According to the flood bulletin, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge increased 205.4 metres at 5 pm on Monday. The water level in Yamuna is rising continuously as Haryana released more water into the river from the Hathnikund barrage amid rains across northwest India including the national capital.

IMD further stated that Delhi witnessed 16 cm of rainfall over the national capital after 41 years. Speaking with ANI, IMD Senior Scientist Dr Soma Sen Roy said, "The interaction zone is being persisting for the last 3-4 days and the monsoon trough was earlier dipping into eastern and Bay of Bengal. The monsoon eastern has moved away from the Bay of Bengal, moisture from Bay of Bengal has seized, but from the Arabian Sea moisture has started to flow because a low-pressure system has formed.

As this interaction is not a very common phenomenon, but when a westerly system and an easterly system interact and this interaction is relatively less common, but because of that after 41 years we have got around 16cm rainfall and on Sunday, we got more than 10cm rainfall over Delhi. Particularly for today also, we have given up to 12cm rainfall. It might be more. We are monitoring and we will keep you informed." There is a yellow alert for Delhi today and if necessary we will upgrade the alert level as well as the rainfall warning based on the main region of interaction, Roy added.

On warning, Roy said, "For Delhi, we are issuing alerts at subdivision level or state level. From our meteorological centres, district-level warnings are being issued for the districts which are likely to be affected by flash floods, landslides, heavy rain and thunderstorm'.

Speaking about if it's common to witness such heavy rainfall that Delhi has been experiencing during monsoon, Roy said, "Such rainfall may not have happened in Delhi, but it has happened in the past. It is not a very uncommon feature of monsoon whether easterly system or westerly system interact. Only this time it has happened after 41 years over Delhi. So, we are seeing this kind of intense spell over Delhi. If you remember, in 2013, the Uttarakhand episode, there was a low pressure system which moved from the Bay of Bengal and there was much deeper moisture coming in and that also interacted with westerly trough."

The Delhi Traffic Police issued a situation alert of water logging at several places, uprooting of trees, underpasses were inundated such as under the Minto bridge, the Pragati Maidan tunnel and the Kalindi Kunj underpass were flooded. Roy also issued a warning for diseases and asked people to remain cautious and not to be adventurous and stay protected, follow the forecast.

Earlier today, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that there is no flood threat in Delhi due to the rise in water level of Yamuna, following two days of heavy rain in the national capital and adjoining areas. Waterlogging issues were also observed in diplomatic enclaves such as Chanakyapuri, Kaka Nagar, Bharti Nagar, and other prominent roads and colonies under the jurisdiction of the NDMC.

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the government is in alert mode and that is fully prepared to control the situation."Delhi government is on full alert. As the water will go above 206 metres, we will start shifting people, living on the banks. The process of taking them safely to the relief camp will be started. Earlier we were feeling that the water level would cross 205 meters on June 11, but it has crossed 205 meters today itself because more water is being released from Haryana," he told ANI.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that there is no flood threat in Delhi due to the rise in the water level of Yamuna, following two days of heavy rain in the national capital and adjoining areas. He also urged all political parties to refrain from blame games stating that it was not the time to "point fingers" at each other.

"A flood-like situation unlikely to arise in Delhi. Government is prepared to deal with any situation," he said addressing a press conference here after a meeting to review the city's handling of the heavy rainfall .Kejriwal said, "It is not the time to point fingers and single out anybody."

He added that evacuation of people from low-lying areas around Yamuna will commence once the river breaches the 206-metre mark.The IMD has issued an orange alert for today in the national capital. Ahead of the review meeting today Delhi's Public Works Department (PWD) minister Atishi inspected the Yamuna River's water level.

The national capital recorded 153 mm of rainfall in 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on Sunday, the highest in a single day in July since 1982, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Several parts of northwest India witnessed a heavy spell of rain with Delhi shattering a 41-year record on Sunday, IMD said.