Yamuna swells as rains force release of water from Hathnikund barrage

Relentless rains swelled the Yamuna on Monday, 1 September, forcing authorities to unchain the floodgates of the Hathnikund barrage in Yamunanagar, sending torrents surging downstream.

An irrigation department official said the water flow at the barrage rose to 3.29 lakh cusecs, the highest this monsoon. Any flow above 2.5 lakh cusecs is considered a “high flood,” according to executive engineer Vijay Garg.

The water released from the barrage is expected to reach Delhi within 48 hours. Officials said an alert has been issued, with close monitoring of villages along the Yamuna in Yamunanagar and adjoining districts.

Heavy rainfall also lashed parts of Haryana, including Panchkula, Yamunanagar, and Ambala. Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini said the state was fully prepared to tackle any flood situation, adding that all deputy commissioners had been directed to monitor riverbank areas and prepare advance action plans.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Punjab is also reeling under floods, with the Sutlej, Beas, Ravi and several rivulets in spate after heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.

With PTI inputs