• Source:JND
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The Yamuna River in Delhi reached a water level of 204.13 metres at 4 PM on Wednesday, just 0.37 metres below the official warning level of 204.50 metres, according to news agency PTI.

This rise follows a significant increase in water discharge from Haryana’s Hathnikund Barrage, which surpassed 50,000 cusecs for the first time this monsoon on Tuesday. Water released from the barrage typically takes about 48 to 50 hours to reach Delhi, where the Old Railway Bridge is used as the primary point for monitoring water levels.

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On Wednesday, the water level was recorded at 204.1 metres at 9 AM, rose slightly to 204.13 metres by 10 AM, and remained steady through the afternoon.

Meanwhile, a committee under the Ministry of Jal Shakti has suggested revising the danger levels at the Delhi Railway Bridge, levels that were already updated a few years ago. However, this recommendation has drawn criticism from experts, who argue that it amounts to merely "shifting the goalpost" rather than addressing the root causes of flooding.

Commenting on the issue, Bhim Singh Rawat, an activist with the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, told PTI that the rising water levels are linked to siltation and encroachment on the floodplains, which raise the riverbed in Delhi. He urged the government to prioritize a geomorphological study of the Yamuna’s upper stretch instead of simply adjusting the warning and danger thresholds.

Last year, despite heavy rainfall, the Yamuna peaked at 204.38 metres in late September, just shy of the warning level. In contrast, 2023 saw a historic flood when the river surged to 208.66 metres, inundating several areas, including Mayur Vihar, ITO, Salimgarh Bypass, and Civil Lines.

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According to Delhi’s flood control plan, the first official warning is issued only when the Hathnikund Barrage discharge exceeds 1 lakh cusecs, a threshold that has not yet been reached this year.