Rescue teams searched for survivors in northern India after days of monsoon rains triggered flash floods and landslides, killing as many as 138 people.
Delhi is facing flood scare as the water level in the Yamuna has already crossed danger mark and is likely to cross 207.75 m — the highest in the city in the last 35 years.
Officials have warned that the water level in the river, flowing by the city, would rise further and emergency steps are being taken. The Old Yamuna Bridge, connecting East Delhi with the heart of the capital, was shut for rail and road traffic as river waters rose and skimmed the structure.
The highest level ever reached by the Yamuna waters in the city before this was in 1978, when the river was flowing at 207.48 meters. Dharmpal, secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department said that during the day, the river was flowing at 206.98 meters, having crossed the danger mark of 204.83 meters.
“The forecast says that the water level of the Yamuna would reach 207.7 meters and this is the highest ever recorded,” he said.
The nurseries and huts around the bank were submerged when the river breached its banks Monday. People were immediately evacuated were put up in tents along elevated roads near ITO.
“Around 272 people have been provided shelter in 43 tents around ITO,” said Satnam Singh, district warden of Delhi Civil Defense. The level of the Yamuna rose Monday after 8.06 lakh cusecs of water was released from the Hathinikund barrage in Haryana. An additional 3.38 cusecs was released Tuesday morning. On the other hand more than 62,000 tourists are still stranded in calamity-hit Uttarakhand while 11,000 have been rescued.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi are to undertake an aerial survey of the extensive damage.
Both Singh and Sonia Gandhi are to fly to the town of Kedarnath in Uttarakhand where the swollen Mandakini River has washed away houses and many people are reported missing. According to Shinde, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the army have together managed to rescue 11,000 of the stranded tourists in Uttarakhand, the worst hit in the heavy rains.
He said the ITBP has rescued 6,400 people at Joshimath and put them up in camps.
“Fourteen teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are working in the area,” he said. While reports point to a toll of over 100, the home minister said he had received a report pointing to 69 deaths. More helicopters are being pressed into service on the urging of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said Shinde.
