Yamuna Floodwaters Inundate Delhi Neighbourhoods As River Holds At 207.48 Metres

The Yamuna River continued to flow above its danger level on Wednesday, inundating large stretches of low-lying areas in the national capital.

Officials recorded a water level of 207.48 metres at the Old Railway Bridge at 7 AM, maintaining the same mark as the previous hour and indicating sustained high flows since the early morning.

Floodwaters have crept closer to the Delhi Secretariat, which houses the offices of the Chief Minister and senior bureaucrats. Neighbourhoods around Vasudev Ghat also went underwater as civic authorities scrambled to put up safety barriers.

Floodwaters have severely affected several densely populated and commercially active localities, including Yamuna Bazar, Geeta Colony, Majnu Ka Tila, Kashmiri Gate, Garhi Mandu and Mayur Vihar.

Water has also reached Shri Marghat Wale Hanuman Baba Mandir near Kashmere Gate, while Nigambodh Ghat, Delhi’s oldest cremation ground, faces the threat of disruption to funeral services.

The Old Railway Bridge has remained a critical monitoring site for officials assessing the river’s flow and the risk of further flooding.

Thousands Evacuated to Shelters

According to government figures, more than 14,000 residents have been evacuated from vulnerable areas.

Authorities have moved around 8,018 people to temporary tents and 2,030 to 13 permanent shelters. They have established relief camps at ITO, Mayur Vihar and Geeta Colony to provide food, medical care and sanitation facilities to displaced families.

Rescue teams, including disaster management personnel and volunteers, continue to patrol the affected zones to assist residents and prevent further casualties.

A flood control bulletin issued on Wednesday evening projected that the Yamuna would hold at 207.48 metres at 8 AM on Thursday, with the river likely to start receding thereafter.

Officials have cautioned that heavy rainfall in upstream regions could alter the forecast and urged the public to stay clear of riverbanks.

Experts stress that the current flooding underscores the challenges of managing monsoon-fed rivers in a densely populated city, where swelling waters quickly disrupt daily life and threaten vital infrastructure.

With evacuation centres filling up and key religious and civic sites at risk, authorities are intensifying relief measures and urging residents to follow safety advisories until water levels begin to drop.

This year’s surge in the Yamuna highlights the urgency of long-term flood management and urban planning to protect vulnerable communities.

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