Delhi on flood alert, Govt says No danger to Commonwealth Games village

The Delhi government on Thursday held a high-level meeting to discuss the flood alert in the Capital.

The alert has been issued as the Yamuna river continues to flow above the danger mark. The government expects the water level in the Yamuna to go up by a metre by Friday as a huge volume of water is heading towards Delhi after close to six lakh cusecs of water was released from the Hatnikund barrage.

The water is expected to reach Delhi on Thursday night or early Friday morning.

But the Delhi government says there's no need to panic as additional boats and pumps have been put into action and all low lying areas facing the danger of flooding have already been evacuated. There is no danger to the Commonwealth Games village, the govt added.

Last month, when close two lakh cusecs of water was released, some low lying areas along the Yamuna had been flooded.

1978 saw the worst floods in Delhi when the Capital was swamped by seven lakh cusecs of water released from Hatnikund.

The excess water released from Hatnikund has already caused a breach in the Markanda river, damaging a portion of the Ambala-Saharanpur national highway and inundating 20 villages in the Yamunanagar area of Haryana. Five districts in Haryana have also been put on flood alert.