NOIDA/GHAZIABAD: More than 600 people were evacuated on Tuesday as the Yamuna swelled dangerously close to the danger mark in Noida.
By morning, the Yamuna's level at the Okhla Barrage had climbed to 199.15 metres, flowing just 1.5 metres below the 200.6-metre danger mark, and was on a steady upward trajectory. At 7pm, the water level was recorded at 199.5 metres while 1,02,444 cusec was discharge at Okhla Barrage.
Officials have warned the river could breach the threshold overnight due to heavy rainfall in its catchment and a consistent discharge of over one lakh cusecs from Haryana's Hathinikund barrage since Tuesday morning, which had slowly begun to inch closer to 2 lakh cusecs by 10pm, is set to increase city's woes. It could mean that the river was likely to remain in spate for at least a few days.
Yamuna received over three lakh cusecs of water from Haryana's Hathnikund barrage between 8am to 5pm on Monday, after heavy rainfall in the Himalayas. The usual discharge from Hathnikund barrage is less than 50,000 cusecs.
The discharge touched a high of 3.23 lakh cusecs by noon, and stood at 2.23 lakh by 11pm on Monday. On Tuesday morning, the discharge had dropped below 2 lakh cusecs. It further dipped to 1.13 lakh cusecs by 8pm before inching up again to 1.8 lakh cusecs by 10 pm. The water released from Hathnikund often impacts the city in 36 to 48 hours.
District authorities said they began shifting families late on Monday night, wary that the rising waters could spill into residential clusters and farmlands. "At least 1,400 domestic animals and over 600 people have been moved from the floodplains. Police and health teams are now stationed at relief centres," ADM Atul Kumar said.
Scenes of people wading through knee-deep water, pushing handcarts laden with furniture, or driving tractors and cars while herding their cattle to safety, revived memories of the devastating floods that struck the region in 2023.
Sudhir, a cowshed worker from Sector 135, carried his two young sons through water after their shelter flooded. "We had to wade with our cattle to reach the camps on Pusta Road," he said, standing drenched and exhausted near a relief post.
In Momnathal village in Sector 150, anxiety is palpable. "Right now, the water has almost reached Yamuna's embankment. Any further rise and it may enter the village," said Nem Singh, pointing to the swollen river. His community was among those battered in 2023, when floodwaters surged into 18 villages, displacing 3,700 people and damaging nearly 1,600 hectares of farmland. "In 2023, it came at night. We had no warning. We lost nearly everything," he recalled.
As the shadow of 2023 looms large over Noida's flood response this time, officials said lessons have been learnt. Nineteen flood posts are now active, embankments are being reinforced, and relief centres have been readied at schools in Chhajarsi, Faleda Bangar, Gharbara and Chotpur.
"There are six flood posts in Sadar, five in Jewar and eight in Dadri. A total of 15 relief shelters have also been set up, six of them in Sadar, one in Jewar and eight in Dadri," the ADM said.
Animal rights groups have also joined in. "Last night, we rescued around 100 animals, including dogs, from high-alert zones. They are now safe at our shelter in Sector 51," said Sanjay Mahalatra of House of Stray Animals.
While the Hindon, a tributary of the Yamuna, has seen its level dip from 200.95 metres on Monday to 199.95 metres on Tuesday, it remains a concern.
Its danger level is 205 metres. So far, no large-scale evacuations have been reported along its banks in Noida and Greater Noida, though some residents have taken shelter in schools and community halls.
Ghaziabad, meanwhile, is bracing for impact. In Loni tehsil, at least four villages—Pachyera, Nauraspur, Mirpur Hindu and Badarpur—along the Alipore embankment, are at risk as the Yamuna rose past 210 metres near Pachyera, just short of highest flood level of 211 metres. Officials said 1.5 lakh cusecs released from Hathnikund would reach Loni by midnight, likely pushing levels further.
"Hindon, though below the danger level, is already flooding colonies like Rahul Vihar, Karhera and City Forest," said irrigation department engineer Binod Kumar Singh. Twelve shelters are active in Loni, while relief teams, divers and boats remain on standby. Hospitals, too, have been placed on alert.
The river branches from the Yamuna near Sector 150 in Noida. When the Yamuna levels start increasing, the Hindon river first swells from this area and then towards Ghaziabad via Noida.
On Tuesday, Ghaziabad's SDM Arun Dixit inspected Karhera's composite school relief camp and directed officials to stock dry rations and first-aid kits.
"Pregnant women, the elderly and persons with disabilities have been identified for immediate evacuation if needed," added ADM Saurabh Bhatt.
In Delhi, DM East Amol Srivastav, the nodal officer to manage the situation, said about 10,000 people displaced from low-lying areas have been placed in different camps spread across over 28 locations across 11 divisions of east, north, north-east, central, Shahdara, and south-east districts. He said that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has been alerted.
According to data with Delhi govt's Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FC), in the last 63 years, the river breached the 205m mark on 43 years occasions, the 206m mark 14 times, but crossed the 207m mark in only four years, including the 2023 all-time-high level of 208.66m.
"As per current indications, the water level will likely touch 206.90 metres by 7am on Wednesday, Thereafter, it will likely rise further," said a statement by CWC at 7pm on Tuesday, stating the forecast will further be impacted by releases from Okhla and Wazirabad barrages.
"As the water level has exceeded 206.34 metres (at 9 pm), Railways has imposed a ‘Stop Dead' and 10 km/h speed restriction at Old Loha Pul. This means trains will come to a complete stop before proceeding across the bridge at a maximum speed of 10kmph. The bridge connects Old Delhi Railway Station to Shahdara in Delhi and is crucial for trains coming from Uttar Pradesh on one side and Punjab on the other," an official said.