After Yamuna floods, drying homes and clearing silt big challenge for Delhi folks

For thousands still living in tents following the recent Delhi floods, returning home is no longer hindered by floodwaters — the main obstacle now lies in clearing thick layers of silt and waiting for their houses to dry before normal life can resume.

Vinod (47), a daily wage labourer from Ghat number 28, has been displaced for over a month. “There is a lot of mud in our home. We need to remove all of it first and then again leave the house empty for some days to let it dry. Only then can we move back,” he said.

He currently lives in a relief camp in Yamuna Bazar with his wife and six children, who have missed over a month of school and college. “Our children help manage and keep our belongings safe in the relief camps while my wife and I go out to work or clean the mud. They will be able to resume their studies only after we shift back to our home,” he said.

Neelam Devi (45), who lives near Ghat number 27, described a similar ordeal. “It is hours of tiresome work to clean so much silt. We don't have money to hire help. Once the mud is out, we still need the house to dry, which depends on the weather,” she explained.

Mamata, a 20-year-old woman, expressed exhaustion from the ongoing situation. “It’s been more than three weeks. We just want to go back to our homes. You won't find any adult here in the tents — they all go during the day to clean their homes,” she said.

While residents face the daunting task of reclaiming their homes, the Yamuna is slowly receding. On Monday at 2.00 pm, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge dropped to 205.22 metres, slightly below the danger mark of 205.33 metres recorded the previous day, according to officials.

The river had reached a seasonal high of 207.48 metres last Thursday and is expected to fall further to 205.02 metres by 8.00 pm today, as per a flood control bulletin.

The Yamuna’s warning mark stands at 204.50 metres, with 205.33 metres considered the danger level. Evacuation orders are typically issued once the river crosses 206 metres. On 2 September, after the water breached this danger mark, nearly 10,000 residents from low-lying areas such as Monastery Market, Madanpur Khadar, Yamuna Bazar, and parts of Mayur Vihar were evacuated.

Temporary shelters have since been set up along the Delhi–Meerut Expressway, near Mori Gate, and in Mayur Vihar to accommodate displaced families.

Delhi experienced one of its most severe flood-like events in 2023 when the Yamuna reached a record 208.66 metres on 13 July, submerging large areas of the city and forcing over 25,000 people into relief camps.

Now, as the river retreats, hope cautiously returns. But for many, the path home is not just a matter of falling water levels — it's a painstaking process of removing mud, drying walls, and rebuilding lives one step at a time.