River Yamuna Reclaiming Its Natural Path? Old Photos, Mughal-Era Paintings Go Viral After Floods In Delhi
Parts of Delhi are battling an unprecedented flood situation caused by recent rains and flooding in River Yamuna.?
The Yamuna River has been flowing above the danger mark of 205.33 metres since Sunday and breached the previous all-time record of 207.49 metres on Wednesday.
The water level in River Yamuna went up further on Thursday, reaching 208.66 metres, forcing the Delhi government to press the panic button.
River Yamuna meets Red Fort after decades
The unprecedented swelling of River Yamuna flooded low-lying areas along its banks and even inundated many areas in the national capital where flood waters haven't reached in decades.
One such area was the historic Red Fort, once the seat of power in Delhi.
On Thursday, flood water from the Yamuna reached a section of the Ring Road between Red Fort and Salimgarh Fort.?
Visuals posted on social media showed that there was knee-deep water near the northern walls of the Mughal-era fort.?
River Yamuna on its natural course
Along with the visuals of the flooded Red Fort, several Mughal-ear paintings showing what appears to be the same area centuries ago, when River Yamuna was flowing there naturally, are being widely shared on social media.
Comparing the two images, many wrote that River Yamuna was reclaiming what was its natural course before the floodplains were taken over, filled up and turned into a concrete jungle.
Some old photos, dating back to the late 1800s, also showed water from River Yamuna near the Red Fort, where it is currently flooded.
A river remembers!
Many pointed out that the areas that water has entered used to be the floodplains of Yamuna for centuries and that the river remembers its path even decades later.
Apart from the Red Fort, various other areas, including Vishwakarma Colony, Yamuna Bazar, ISBT bus terminus, Kashmere Gate, Shankaracharya Road, Majnu Ka Tila, Batla House, Kirari, and Kingsway Camp, were also impacted by the flooding on Thursday.?
Following the unprecedented situation, the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has said that the Red Fort will remain closed to public and general visitors till Friday.?
In a notice on Thursday, the ASI said: "In exercise of the powers conferred under Rule 5 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Rules, 1959, the Director General, Archaeological Survey of India hereby direct that the Red Fort, Delhi shall remain closed for the public and general visitors from second half of 13 to 14 July, 2023 due to heavy monsoon and rainfall."
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