Yamuna floods Delhi’s Yamuna Bazar, residents left without relief

Floodwaters from the rising Yamuna have submerged Delhi’s Yamuna Bazar and surrounding localities, compelling residents to abandon their homes and take shelter on rooftops or in temporary tents.

At 8 am on Tuesday, 19 August, the river at the Old Railway Bridge was recorded at 205.85 metres — just shy of the 206-metre evacuation mark. On Monday afternoon, it had already crossed the danger level of 205.33 metres, reaching 205.55 metres and continuing to rise.

With floodwaters entering homes, families evacuated in haste. “Water started coming into our homes around 7 pm yesterday (Monday). We had to run, taking only essential things. We are very troubled,” said Vivek, a local resident.

Another resident, Surendra Kumar, said, "This problem had been there for the past few days, but yesterday things worsened as the water started coming in. The government has set up tents, and we are staying there for now. However, we cannot cook since our homes are flooded, and we have not received any food yet from the administration."

Others reported lack of food and relief support. “The government has set up tents, but we cannot cook and have not received any food,” said Surendra Kumar. Another resident, Dev Prakash Pandey, said many families had lost belongings and were forced to stay on rooftops.

Dev Prakash Pandey added, "We are facing a lot of problems. So many things, our belongings, everything is destroyed. We are forced to stay on roofs. We are not getting any food."

Authorities have opened all gates of the Okhla Barrage to ease the swelling water levels. However, residents continue to struggle with inadequate relief measures as the situation worsens.

With PTI inputs