Subhechcha Ganguly 
The Yamuna River in Delhi has crossed the danger mark, prompting authorities to issue a flood advisory. According to the Central Water Commission (CWC), the river breached the danger level of 205.33 metres on Monday following heavy water discharge from Haryana’s Hathnikund barrage, where all 18 gates have been opened for the first time this season.
By Sunday evening, the river had already touched 204.60 metres at the Old Railway Bridge — a key observation point — surpassing the warning level of 204.50 metres. Officials now expect the water level to rise further and cross 206 metres around 2 a.m. on August 19.
The flood control department said Hathnikund is currently releasing about 1.27 lakh cusecs of water, the highest so far this season, while Wazirabad is discharging 45,620 cusecs every hour. It typically takes 48–50 hours for this water to reach Delhi, raising the risk of flooding in low-lying areas.
“Agencies have been put on alert and precautionary measures are underway,” a CWC official said, attributing the rise primarily to the high volumes of water released upstream combined with rainfall in the Upper Yamuna region.
Evacuations in vulnerable areas will begin once the river breaches the 206-metre mark.
