New Delhi: A nine-year-old boy was feared drowned in the Yamuna river stretch in south-east Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh area, police said on Saturday, adding that efforts are underway to trace the child. According to a senior police officer, the incident took place on Friday evening when 10-year-old Mohammad Ahsan and his friend Rajkumar were swimming in the river.
As Ahsan suddenly slipped into deep waters, two persons — Rohit and Alam — who were on the bank jumped into the river but failed to rescue him, the officer told news agency PTI. On being informed, police rushed to the spot and started a search operation, he said.
Fire personnel and four divers have been deployed to trace the boy, the police said. The statements of Ahsan’s father, Rajkumar, Rohit and Alam have been recorded, the police added.
Swollen Yamuna triggers another flood-threat in Delhi
The river water level, which has been hovering around the danger mark of 205.33 metres for the last few days, dropped below the threshold again on Saturday morning.
The Central Water Commission’s (CWC) data showed the water level dropped to 205.16 metres at 4 pm on Saturday. It may drop further before the impact of rain in upper catchment areas becomes clear.
However, surge in discharge from the Hathnikund Barrage into the Yamuna following heavy rain in parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh is expected to increase the water level of the river in Delhi and impact relief and rehabilitation work in the flood-affected low-lying areas of the capital, officials said.
At 208.66 metres on July 13, the Yamuna surpassed its previous record of 207.49 metres set in September 1978 by a significant margin.
According to the CWC data, the flow rate at the Yamunanagar-located Hathnikund Barrage crossed the 1 lakh-mark at 9 am and oscillated between 2 lakh and 2.5 lakh cusecs between 10 am and 4 pm.
“Discharge from Hathnikund Barrage remained above 2 lakh cusecs mark for seven hours after overnight rain in upper catchment areas of the Yamuna, with peak discharge being 2,51,987 cusecs recorded at 2 pm. This significant volume of water is expected to reach Delhi within 36 hours, posing a risk of mid-scale floods in the capital, which is still recuperating from one of the worst flood spells it experienced in the second week of July.
“The second spell of floods will likely see the Yamuna river reclaiming most of its floodplain in Delhi. Given the valuable insights gained from the last flood spell this month, city planners and policy makers must take note of the lessons learned. It is imperative for the relevant government departments to be on high alert and maintain internal coordination.
“Citizens are counting on the swift response of authorities, expecting all the gates of the ITO barrage to be opened and fully functional. Additionally, immediate attention should be given to fix any breached sites and bunds,” said Bhim Singh Rawat, associate coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People.
IMD predicts more rains in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh
The India Meteorological Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rain in parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand till July 25.
In Uttarakhand, Haripur (126.8 mm) and Haldwani (122 mm) reported very heavy rainfall, while Mussorrie (112mm), Chakrata (83 mm), Loharkhet (68 mm), Dunda (91 mm), Purola (90 mm), Mori (77 mm), Barkot (72 mm), Chinyalisaur (65 mm), Gairsain (85 mm), Berinag (95.6 mm), Didihat (79.8 mm) and Pithoragarh (76.3 mm) received heavy rainfall.
In Himachal Pradesh, Renuka/Dadhau (195 mm), Pachhad (103.3 mm) Nahan (91.4 mm), Chaupal (90 mm) Sundarnagar (87.7 mm), Mandi Solan (86 mm), Arki (70 mm) and Rohra (70 mm) recorded heavy to very heavy rainfall in 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Saturday.
(With PTI inputs)
https://www.india.com/news/delhi/9-year-old-feared-drowned-in-shaheen-bagh-as-swollen-yamuna-triggers-another-flood-threat-in-delhi-6182294/