Monsoon 2020 image: Water level of the Yamuna in Delhi is close to the danger maek
The water level of the Yamuna river in Delhi rose to over 204 meter Friday morning, precariously close to the warning mark of 204.50 meter, officials said. "The water level was recorded at 204.30 meter at the Old Railway Bridge at 9 am. It was 203.77 meter at 10 am on Thursday," an official of the irrigation and flood control department said.
The Yamuna water level rose because more water was released from the Hathnikund Barrage on Tuesday. The flow rate was 36,557 cusec at 5 pm on Tuesday, the highest in the last three days, the official said.
The discharged water from the barrage - which provides drinking water to Delhi - normally takes two-three days to reach the capital. Water was being released into the Yamuna at the rate of 11,055 cusec at 8 am on Friday.
"The flow rate has remained between 10,000 cusec to 25,000 cusec over the last two days, which is not very high. Therefore, the water level of the river is expected to recede," said the official.
One cusec is equivalent to 28.32 litre per second.
The Yamuna river had swelled to 204.38 meter on Monday, which was just a meter below the danger mark. Normally, the flow rate at the Hathnikund Barrage is 352 cusec, but the discharge was increased after heavy rainfall in catchment areas.
Last year, the flow rate had peaked to 8.28 lakh cusec on August 18-19, and the water level of the Yamuna had hit the 206.60 meter-mark, breaching the danger mark of 205.33 meter.
The Delhi government had to move people to safer areas after the overflowing river submerged many low-lying areas. In 1978, the Yamuna had swelled to the all-time record water level of 207.49 meter.
Delhi's Water Minister Satyendar Jain had earlier said the government was ready to deal with any flood-like situation.