New Delhi:
The water level in the Yamuna River surged significantly in the national capital over the past 24 hours, edging closer to the official warning level of 204.5 metres. According to data from the Central Water Commission (CWC), the river reached a peak of 204.13 metres at 5pm on Wednesday before dipping marginally to 204.08 metres an hour later. Just a day earlier, the level stood at 202.24 metres—marking a sharp rise of nearly two metres within a single day.
The sudden spike is being attributed to a significant increase in water discharge from Haryana’s Hathnikund barrage. The barrage, situated in Yamunanagar district, released over 50,000 cusecs late Monday night—the highest so far this season. Discharge peaked at 54,707 cusecs around 1am on Tuesday. Water from the barrage typically takes about 48 hours to reach Delhi, making further increases in the Yamuna’s level likely by Thursday.
While the river has not yet crossed the official warning level, the rapid rise has put authorities on alert. The Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department has reiterated that the capital considers 204.5 metres as the warning mark and 205.33 metres as the danger threshold.
“Currently, this appears to be part of the annual river flushing cycle,” said Bhim Singh Rawat, an environmental researcher with the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP). “The increased water flow improves the quality of the river, even if temporarily. While the level may dip slightly, further fluctuations are expected depending on rainfall in the upper catchment,” he added. Rawat also noted that the peak flood stage in the Yamuna usually occurs between August and September.
The capital narrowly escaped breaching the warning mark last year, when the river climbed to 204.38 metres on September 26, 2024. In contrast, the monsoon of 2023 saw record flooding, when the Yamuna surged to an unprecedented 208.66 metres on July 11 following a massive discharge of 359,760 cusecs from the Hathnikund barrage. Multiple high-volume releases exceeding 100,000 cusecs during that period led to extensive flooding in areas such as ITO, Mayur Vihar, Salimgarh Bypass, and Civil Lines, displacing over 23,000 residents and crippling essential services.
The deluge in 2023 also forced the Delhi Jal Board to shut down three major water treatment plants—Wazirabad, Chandrawal, and Okhla—which together supply nearly 25% of the city’s drinking water. While the current situation is not as severe, authorities are closely monitoring the trends.
Data from the I&FC department reveals that the Yamuna has breached the warning level 53 times over the past 63 years—making it a near-annual occurrence. Of those, it crossed 205 metres in 43 years, went beyond 206 metres in 14 years, and exceeded 207 metres on four occasions—including the extreme flooding in 2023.
In anticipation of a potential surge, the I&FC department has already issued a flood control order. According to the order, a formal warning will be issued if the barrage discharge crosses 100,000 cusecs. At that point, all sector-level flood control rooms will become active, and boats will be positioned at vulnerable locations to manage potential evacuations.
As of now, no additional advisory has been released since the Yamuna remains just below the warning threshold. However, with more rainfall expected in the upper reaches, officials remain on high alert.
Urban planners and climate experts continue to call for long-term flood mitigation strategies, especially as climate variability increases the frequency of extreme weather events. For now, Delhi waits and watches—hoping the Yamuna’s rising tide does not tip into another crisis.
