It Has Rained So Much In Delhi Until Now That Yamuna Has Crossed Danger Mark, Boats On Standby

India has been witness to the fury of the flood over the past month as hundreds of lives have been lost and several thousand displaced in states such as Kerala and Karnataka. But to make matters worse, the water level of the Yamuna has crossed the "warning mark" in the national capital.

River Tons, Yamuna tributary in HP/UK. Video is frm Tiuni township in UK. A release of 8 lakh + cusec at Hathnikund barrage on Yamuna at 1900 hrs today ensures decadal flood in Downstream including Delhi. pic.twitter.com/IgU7GDFAs1

¡ª manoj misra (@yamunajiye) August 18, 2019

News agency ANI reported on Monday morning that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called an emergency meeting of concerned officials to assess the preparations.

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"Am meeting officers from all concerned depts at 1 pm to assess the situation and the preparations," the chief minister tweeted in response to a Twitter user Manoj Misra's concern over the situation.

Mishra tweeted on Sunday, "Beware Delhi. Release of 8.47 lakh cusec at Hathnikund (HKB) at 1900 hrs today is highest ever recorded. Tho presumably d 1978 flood was bigger but no records exist 4 there was no one at then Tajewala barrage 2 record. If level in Delhi crosses 207.49 (1978) then this is biggest!"

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The river on Monday morning was flowing at 204.70 meters, higher than the warning mark at 204.50 meters, after the release of huge amounts of water from Hathni Kund Barrage in Haryana. The "danger mark" is 205.33 meters.

Flood alert: Evacuation begins in Delhi, Yamuna may touch 207m today https://t.co/u55h2BoMyw pic.twitter.com/xD6207yWAJ

¡ª Times of India (@timesofindia) August 19, 2019

Last year, water level in Yamuna had touched 205.5 metres. In 1978, the year Delhi saw its worst floods, water had reached the 207.49m.

The Delhi government has issued orders for the evacuation of people from low-lying areas and civil defence volunteers have been deployed for rescue operations.

"We have deployed forces. Our department is ready for rescue operations. We got to know that water has been released from Hatni Kund Barrage. We will ensure that people shift to safer places," Lalit Goyal, Civil Defence Officer, told ANI.

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In the meanwhile, tents have been erected and at least 24 boats are on standby at crucial points. A few people have already been evacuated and others are being shifted according to reports. In an order by DM (North Delhi) Deepak Shinde, all SDMs have been directed to work in coordination with Delhi Police and civil defence volunteers to ensure evacuation.

Apart from Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Punjab are also on high alert after heavy rains that have so far killed at least 28 people, while about 22 are missing in the regions.