River Yamuna is the longest tributary in India.

It flows through the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar

Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi.

Delhi is in the middle of battling one of its worst flood-like scenarios due to the Yamuna water
level and heavy rain, with more than 25,000 people evacuated from inundated areas.

Flood of 1978 :-
Out of the above the flood of 1978 has been the highest recorded in the available history of River Yamuna
which was recorded as 207.49 m (680.75 ft.) on 5/6 September, 1978 at Delhi Old Railway bridge, with a
discharge of 7175 cumecs (2,53,350 cusecs). The right marginal bund between palla village and Bawana
Escape out-fall also breached which caused a very large area of Alipur block and urban colonies like
Adarsh Nagar, Model town, Mukerji Nagar submerged under deep water. Apart from the damages
estimated at nearly Rs. 10 crores, eighteen lives were lost and thousands of people were rendered home
less. On the left bank also Shahdara marginal bund reached the point of distress but could be saved by
raising its heights in certain reaches with earth filled bags.
Yamuna is the main river of Union territory of Delhi which flows in its Easterly direction from North to
South. This river is an alluvial river and hence has got a meandering tendency. In the past this river has
caused serious flood problems in U.T. of Delhi by inundating large areas during flood season, and
disturbing the normal life of Delhi-ties. Prior to construction of Shahdara Marginal Bund and Left
Marginal Bund in 1956, this river used to inundate the trans-Yamuna areas very often (nearly every year).
In right side also before construction of Right Marginal Bund in 1977-78, the most of the areas of Northern
Delhi in Alipur block used to be inundated under deep waters. This has been the result of inadequacy of
flood protection measures adopted in Delhi area in the past. Even in 1978 floods i.e. after the construction
of Right Marginal Embankment upstream of wazirabad upto Delhi-Haryana border the area of Alipur
Block and even Model Town colony of Delhi city area was inundated in deep water due to a breach in this
embankment. The main city areas of Delhi and New Delhi and Trans-Yamuna Area of Shahdara Block are
although protected by embankments but there also remains a danger to breaches which may endanger the
normal life of the residents in these areas. The floods of the years of 1924, 1947, 1955,1956, 1967, 1971,
1975, 1976, 1978 are the main examples of the flooding in River Yamuna when the normal lives of the
residents of Delhi were either disturbed or threatened, badly.
History of Past floods by River Yamuna :-

The water level was at 205.52 metres on Sunday night.

Around 26,401 people have been evacuated from the flood-affected low-
lying areas of six districts of Delhi, out of which around 21,504 people are
staying in 44 camps (including temporary relief camps as well as Pucca
Buildings like schools, community centres). The rest of the evacuated
people have shifted to the places of their choice like their relatives’ houses
or rented accommodations.

The unprecedented flooding in Delhi has been attributed to several factors

by experts. These include encroachment on floodplains, extreme rainfall
events occurring in shorter durations, and silt accumulation leading to a
raised riverbed.

A study conducted by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department on

"Urban Flooding and its Management" specifically identifies east Delhi as a
floodplain region that is highly vulnerable to floods.

14 Jul 2023, 09:48:09 AM IST

Yamuna water level at 208.40 meters

Delhi floods: The water level of Yamuna River at Old Railway Bridge
(ORB) has crossed the danger mark and is at 208.40 meters, recorded
around 9 am.

This comes just after the Yamuna rose to its highest level in 45 years last week, leading to the
evacuation of people from low-lying areas to relief camps.

Delhi witnessed its highest rainfall (153 mm) in a single day in July since
1982 in the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Sunday. The city received
an additional 107 mm rainfall in the subsequent 24 hours, exacerbating the
situation. The heavy rain transformed roads into gushing streams, parks
into watery labyrinths and marketplaces into submerged realms.

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.

The Yamuna breached the danger mark twice in September last year, with
the water level reaching 206.38 metres.

In 2019, the river witnessed a peak flow rate of 8.28 lakh cusecs on August
18-19 and the water level rose to 206.6 metres. In 2013, it reached a level of
207.32 metres.