Thousands living on floodplains forced to move out as Yamuna breaches danger mark

Temporary tents dotted the streets of Mayur Vihar, along the unfinished Barapullah flyover. Sri Kishan (55), a farmer in the area, had set up his tent as well. He said he had taken on 2 acre of land on lease for the year. “All my crops have been destroyed by the flood. I had to buy my own tarpaulin sheets and bamboo sticks to set up my tent,” Kishan said.

The Delhi government flood report, issued Tuesday, said 114 tents had been set up and people had been shifted, adding that more tents were coming up. The sub-district magistrate (SDM) East Delhi, Sandeep Dutta, stood next to the road in Mayur Vihar Tuesday as a truck unloaded steel beams and white canopies for the tents. “People will say that the administration is indifferent, but only we know how we’ve conducted evacuations. We have arranged for food and water for 5,000- 6,000 people. Unfortunately, people are reluctant to move out of their houses.”

Near Nigambodh Ghat, sitting on a concrete platform in ankle-deep water, Paan Kumari (55) was reminded of the 1978 floods when she saw the waters rise in the Yamuna. “The water started coming in suddenly and before we knew it, we were waist-deep in water,” Kumari said. She was 10 years old during the 1978 floods. She recalled how it had breached the ghat’s boundary walls and flooded the entire area. Delhi Cabinet Ministers, meanwhile, visited different sites to inspect the arrangements. Environment Minister Gopal Rai who visited the relief camp situated near Rajghat DTC Depot claimed that approximately 2700 centres/tents for flood relief were being set up and around 27,000 people had registered to reside in these shelters.

“Clear instructions have been given to ensure the provision of essential amenities at the relief centre. Affected residents are being relocated to camps set up across different districts,” he said.

These centres span from the northern district of Palla to the southern district of South Delhi.

Water minister Saurabh Bharadwaj visited relief camps set up at Akshardham, and Social Welfare Minister Raaj Kumar Anand visited the camp set up opposite Shastri Park Metro station. The government has also set up control rooms, including a central control room, to monitor flood-prone areas and the water level.

Teams of Delhi Police and divers rescued more than 17 persons from the Yamuna Khadar area. Police in the North district said several children were stuck and had not left their homes. “They were rescued in time… We had to call bigger boats as families also had cattle and wanted to carry their belongings. More than 10 rescued persons were aged below 15,” said a police officer.