New Delhi:
The water level in the Yamuna began receding on Thursday, slightly improving the flood-like situation in several low-lying areas along its banks although the river continued to flow well above the danger mark.
Though the situation has improved in many localities but still several areas in east Delhi remained inundated including the Inter-State Bus Terminal in Kashmiri Gate due to which bus services in the station has come to a halt.
The water level in the river had crossed the 207-metre mark for first time in 32 years on Wednesday submerging several areas including Garhi Mandu, Usmanpur Pusta, Jagatpur Village and Shastri Nagar, Yamuna Vihar, Madanpur, Sonia Vihar, Nigambodh, Jaitpur, Tibet Market and Yamuna Bazar.
"The water level receded to 206.48 metres at 9 pm from yesterday's 207.06 metres. It is expected to recede further," an official from the Flood Control Department said. The river, however, is flowing well above the danger mark of 204.83 metres.
The government has already shifted hundreds of people from low-lying areas to relief camps.
A senior official said over 3,500 people have already been shifted to relief camps set up by the government following flood threat last week.
Flood Control Minister Raj Kumar Chouhan visited several affected areas and directed officials to ensure proper food, medicine and drinking water to the people living in relief camps. "The situation is totally under control and there is no reason to worry," he said.
The city had witnessed massive floods in the year 1978 when water level in Yamuna had touched 207.49 metre.
The water level in Yamuna has gone up in the last few days as rain-battered Haryana has been constantly releasing huge quantity of water from Hathinikund barrage. The neighbouring state has released nearly 3.5 lakh cusec of water into the river.
A transport department official said the operation at the ISBT in Kashmiri Gate has to be closed down totally due to almost waist-deep flood waters in the complex.
Several areas along the Ring Road have also been inundated by the flood water. Asked about any threat to the Games Village, officials ruled out any such possibilities.
In the last 40 years, the city had witnessed floods in 1967, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1988, 1995 and 1998 but the flood in 1978 was of serious nature as it had inundated many areas in the city.