Noida: After intense rainfall, the Yamuna’s water level rose on Wednesday following the release of over 50,000 cusecs from Haryana’s Hathnikund barrage, but officials ruled out any immediate danger. At Delhi’s Okhla barrage, discharge levels jumped from 8,452 on Tuesday to 34,085 cusecs on Wednesday morning before settling at 32,120 cusecs by 3pm. The water level stood at 197.05 metres, well below the danger mark of 202.17 metres. Officials said current volumes are just 3% of Okhla’s record flood discharge.“This is the first time this monsoon that the water discharge from Hathnikund barrage breached the 50,000 mark, which slightly increased the Yamuna level at Okhla barrage in Noida,” BK Singh, executive engineer in the irrigation department, told TOI. However, as of Wednesday evening, 13,000 cusecs of water is coming from the Hathnikund barrage, and the volume remains stable, he added.District authorities, however, continue to monitor the situation closely. Noida DM Manish Verma earlier conducted a detailed inspection of the Hindon-Yamuna Doab embankment, the Yamuna Marginal Bandh near Yakutpur village, and the flood post in Yakutpur.During the July 2 visit, Verma directed officials to ensure flood posts and control rooms remain operational round-the-clock with adequate staffing. The irrigation department assured the administration that embankments along the 72 km stretch of the Yamuna’s left bank within the district were reinforced, and all known weak spots were fixed.On Thursday, officials said that coordination between the irrigation department and sub-district administrations remains tight, and monitoring teams are on alert. Weather forecasts for upstream areas are also being tracked.“While the rise in flow is significant, it is still not a cause for concern. Our systems are in place and ready to respond if needed,” the official added.
