Noida Issues Flood Alert As Water In Hindon River Increases Again, 200 People Shifted

New Delhi: The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday issued a flood warning for low-lying regions along the Hindon as water discharge in the river increased. Around 200 people from five villages have been evacuated and shifted to shelter homes after the alert was raised, officials said on Sunday. The river is flowing below the danger mark of 205-metre in the district.

"Around 200 people from five villages have been evacuated and shifted to shelter homes that have been set up by the administration to provide them accommodation, food and health care," Additional District Magistrate Atul Kumar told the news agency PTI.

"The Hindon is currently flowing at 200-metre, below the danger mark of 205-metre," Kumar said, who is also the nodal officer for flood relief work in Gautam Buddh Nagar.

The district, which is a part of Delhi-NCR and comprises the twin cities of Noida and Greater Noida, is located between the Hindon and Yamuna rivers, both of which have been overflowing in the wake of incessant rains in the recent past and the opening of dams on upper reaches in the north.

The district recently witnessed floods along the Yamuna river banks, which submerged 550 hectares of low-lying land, and impacted thousands of people and animals.

According to official figures updated last Sunday, 8,710 people, including the 4,748 displaced, have been impacted by the floods in the district. The floods have also displaced 6,308 animals.

The displaced people have been kept at shelter homes which have been created by converting community centres where, the district administration said, free meals, snacks and medication facilities are being provided.

Some people, who were rescued from the low-lying floodplains, were also staying in make-shift tarpaulin camps on the Pushta (embankment) road near Nagli Wajidpur village in Sector 135 of Noida, less than 500 metres from a major shelter home.

Last Sunday, two young men aged 17 and 21 drowned in Yamuna while bathing in the overflowing river in Greater Noida's Dankaur area. The duo's bodies were fished out on Monday.

Yamuna Breaches Danger Mark Again In Delhi; Another Spell Of Floods Likely

The water level of the Yamuna in Delhi breached the danger mark again on Sunday following a surge in discharge from the Hathnikund Barrage into the river after heavy rain in parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Further increase in the water level of the river is expected to impact relief and rehabilitation work in the flood-affected low-lying areas of the capital, officials said. Revenue Minister Atishi on Saturday said the Delhi government is on high alert due to the discharge of over 2 lakh cusecs of water from the Hathnikund Barrage into the river and that some parts of Yamuna Khadar (floodplains) might get inundated if the water level rises to 206.7 metres.

The river water level had been hovering around the danger mark of 205.33 metres for the last few days after reaching an all-time high of 208.66 metres on July 13.

The Central Water Commission's (CWC) data showed the water level rose from 205.02 metres at 10 pm on Saturday to 205.96 metres at 9 am on Sunday. It is expected to reach 206.7 metres by 4 pm.

The India Meteorological Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rain in parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand till July 25.

According to the CWC data, the flow rate at the Yamunanagar-located Hathnikund Barrage crossed the 1 lakh-mark at 9 am on Saturday and oscillated between 2 lakh and 2.5 lakh cusecs between 10 am and 5 pm. Since then, it has remained between 1.5 lakh cusecs and 2 lakh cusecs.

"This significant volume of water poses a risk of mid-scale floods in the capital, which is still recuperating from one of the worst flood spells it experienced in the second week of July.

"The second spell of floods will likely see the Yamuna river reclaiming most of its floodplain in Delhi. Given the valuable insights gained from the last flood spell this month, city planners and policymakers must take note of the lessons learned. Citizens are counting on the swift response of authorities, expecting all the gates of the ITO barrage to be opened and fully functional. Additionally, immediate attention should be given to fix any breached sites and bunds," said Bhim Singh Rawat, associate coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People.

There have been marginal fluctuations in the water level over the last four to five days amid rain in the upper catchment areas, primarily in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Delhi Irrigation and Flood Control Department officials said heavy rains upstream of Delhi will impact rehabilitation of the affected families in the inundated low-lying areas of the capital and they may have to stay in relief camps for a longer period.

It could also impact the water supply in the city, which became normal only on Tuesday after being affected for four or five days due to the inundation of a pump house at Wazirabad.

The pump house supplies raw water to Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla treatment plants, which together account for around 25 per cent of the city's supply.

Parts of Delhi have been grappling with waterlogging and flooding for more than two weeks now.

Initially, a downpour caused intense waterlogging on July 8 and 9, with the city receiving 125 per cent of its monthly rainfall quota in just two days.

Subsequently, heavy rains in the upper catchment areas of the Yamuna, including in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Haryana, led to the river swelling to record levels.

At 208.66 metres on July 13, the Yamuna surpassed its previous record of 207.49 metres set in September 1978 by a significant margin. It breached embankments and penetrated deeper into the city than it has in over four decades.

The consequences of the floods have been devastating, with more than 27,000 people evacuated from their homes. The losses incurred in terms of property, businesses and earnings have run into crores.

Experts attribute the unprecedented flooding in Delhi to encroachment on the river floodplain, extreme rainfall within a short span of time and silt accumulation that has raised the riverbed.