The water level of the Yamuna river followed a downward trend Wednesday morning after the river crossed the danger mark of 205.33 metres for a brief period on Tuesday. The water level had risen following torrential rain in the river's upper catchment areas over the past two-three days.

Meanwhile, news agency ANI reported that the rapid increase in the river's water level was due to heavy rainfall in parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

#WATCH | Delhi: Yamuna continues to overflow; latest morning visuals from Old Yamuna Bridge (Loha Pul) pic.twitter.com/JJ9YuSCpPX

— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2023

The Central Water Commission's (CWC) website showed that the water level at the Old Railway Bridge stood at 205.14 metres at 8 am on Wednesday. As per the data, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge crossed the danger mark of 204.50 metres at 3 pm on Tuesday and rapidly rose to 205.39 metres at 10 pm.

An official said on Tuesday the water level is predicted to reach 205.50 metres by 5 am and rise further. "However, the river may not swell to the evacuation level of 206.00 metres in Delhi unless the hilly region receives more rain," he was quoted as saying.

#WATCH | Water level of River Yamuna rises in Delhi again. Drone visuals from this morning show the current situation around Old Yamuna Bridge (Loha Pul) pic.twitter.com/PATydIBQXZ

— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2023

An official of the Delhi government's irrigation and flood control department also said low-level flooding may occur at a few places along the river but a grave situation is unlikely.

Himachal and Uttarakhand rains

At least 56 people have been killed in Himachal Pradesh as rain wreaked havoc in the hill state since Sunday. In Uttarakhand too, torrential rain over the past two days destroyed buildings and caused landslides that breached the national highways to Badrinath, Kedarnath and Gangotri shrines.

Most of the rivers are overflowing due to the rain. The Ganga is flowing above the danger mark in Tehri, Haridwar and Rishikesh. The Alaknanda and the Mandakini are flowing above the danger level in Rudraprayag, Srinagar and Devprayag, the disaster control room in Uttarakhand's Dehradun said.

On Wednesday, the water level at Parmarth Niketan-Ganga Ghat in Uttarakhand decreased slightly.

#WATCH | Uttarakhand | Water level at Parmarth Niketan - Ganga Ghat slightly decreases. Latest visuals from the location. pic.twitter.com/dgCYumqk5q

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) August 16, 2023

A month earlier, heavy rainfall in the Yamuna river’s catchment area caused floods in several areas of the national capital. The Yamuna swelled to a record 208.66 metres on July 13, breaching its previous record and penetrating deeper into the city than in more than four decades.

Experts attributed the flooding in Delhi to encroachment on the river's floodplain, extreme rainfall within a short span of time and silt accumulation that has raised the riverbed.

The Yamuna river system's catchment covers parts of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. The low-lying areas near the river in Delhi, inhabited by around 41,000 people, are considered prone to flooding.

Encroachments on the river's floodplain have occurred over the years, despite the land belonging to the Delhi Development Authority, the revenue department and private individuals.

The city's northeast, east, central and southeast districts are most affected by floods in the city. A study on "Urban Flooding and its Management" by the irrigation and flood control department identifies east Delhi under the floodplain region and highly vulnerable to floods.

(With inputs from agencies)

First Published:Aug 16, 2023 9:46 AM IST