The heavy rains in the capital city of India have impacted the Yamuna River water level, which is continuously rising. The scale is now dangerously close to the danger mark. At around 8 am on Monday, the water level was recorded to be at 204.38 metres which is just a metre below the danger mark at 205.33 metres.
The Water Minister of the Capital recognised the situation and stated that the Government is well-prepared to tackle any consequences. He commented that they are ready to handle any potential flood situation that this rising water level may cause. He further said that the officials are continuously and closely monitoring the whole situation and have all the provisions in place to mitigate the situation.
The flood-control system is ready and shall be released if any demand arises, said the Water Minister of Delhi, Satyendar Jain. The plan is set for all the low-lying areas near the river banks. From Palla village to Okhla, all the regions are under keen observation.
The Government has also started all the evacuation and relief programs. The water has already submerged some of the low-lying areas near the river bank.
The rise in the water level of the Yamuna River in Delhi is also being anticipated due to the release of approximately 5,883 cusec water from the Hathinikund Barrage in Yamunanagar district of Haryana. The water was released around 8 am on Monday, which caused the river to rise close to the danger mark. One cusec of water is equal to 28.317 litres per second, and prior to the release of water from the barrage, the water level was at 204.18 metres on Sunday.
At 10:00 am on Tuesday, the water level was recorded at approximately 204 metres. The water into the Yamuna River was being dispensed at a massive rate of 7,418 cusecs which caused this alarming and perilous rise in the water level.
Another reason that contributed to this rise was the heavy rainfall that the capital experienced over the last few days. Moderate to heavy rain is also predicted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), in the coming days from Wednesday to Friday. The head or the regional forecasting centre, IMD, Kuldeep Srivastava said that the monsoon trough would most likely shift. It will remain northwards close to the Delhi-NCR region from Tuesday to Friday. This will subsequently cause rainfall in the northern part of India from August 26 to August 29.
Delhi is experiencing more rainfall than average this year in the month of August. The monsoon arrived in the city on June 1, and since then the capital has experienced 532 mm of rainfall. This way above the average rainfall of 486 mm.
POSITIVE IMPACT OF THE LOCKDOWN ON YAMUNA RIVER
The lockdown implemented in the capital in the view of the prevalent COVID-19 pandemic has had a positive influence on the River Yamuna. The Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels in the river have increased, and this was found in the study conducted by the University of Chicago’s Tata Center for Development.
The research compared the data from February 12, and the latest was collected on June 5. The average reading recorded was found to be 2.82 mg/l for the month, and it also touched 9 mg/l in the month of May. These readings were 0 mg/l in the month of February.
The DO is essential for the sustenance of aquatic life in the river. The improvement is a favorable implication but is nowhere near the required level, which is 4-5 mg/l. The team also said that the improvement could also be due to the more considerable amount of water released in the river this year comparatively. The rise in the DO levels is one of the best things that has resulted due to the lockdown. The data before and after the lockdown shows many differences which is good for the nature.
