Delhi’s Yamuna Bazar flooded as river swells; residents struggle without food, shelter

New Delhi: Rising Yamuna water levels have flooded Delhi’s Yamuna Bazar and surrounding areas, forcing residents to abandon their homes and take shelter in temporary tents or on rooftops.

At 8 a.m. on Tuesday, the Yamuna River at Delhi’s Old Railway Bridge recorded a water level of 205.85 metres — just short of the 206-metre evacuation mark.

On Monday afternoon, the river had already crossed the danger level of 205.33 metres, touching 205.55 metres, and has been steadily rising since then.

With floodwaters entering homes, families were forced to evacuate hurriedly.

“Yesterday, at around 7.00 p.m., water started coming into our homes. We had to run away, taking only important things. We are very troubled,” Vivek, a local, told IANS.

Another resident, Surendra Kumar, said, “This problem had been there for the past few days, but yesterday things worsened as the water started coming in. The government has set up tents, and we are staying there for now. However, we cannot cook since our homes are flooded, and we have not received any food yet from the administration.”

“Since yesterday afternoon, water has accumulated, causing severe difficulties, and belongings have been shifted to the roof,” said Anirudh, another local.

Dev Prakash Pandey added, “We are facing a lot of problems. So many things, our belongings, everything is destroyed. We are forced to stay on roofs. We are not getting any food.”

“Similar scenes were seen in 2023. They are saying the water levels will also rise. We are facing a lot of problems,” Gauri Shankar said.

Authorities have opened all gates of the Okhla Barrage following the rising water levels.

Meanwhile, residents continue to struggle with inadequate relief arrangements, especially the lack of food distribution in the flooded localities.

IANS