Water level at Hathni Kund barrage touches 1.59 L cusecs

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, July 28

The water flow in the Yamuna at the Hathni Kund barrage in the district rose to 1,59,757 cusecs at 1 pm on Wednesday due to heavy rain in the river’s catchment areas in the hills.

As per record of the Irrigation and Water Resources Department, the water level in the river is the highest in the season so far.

It was 19,852 cusecs at the barrage at 1 am today. It rose to 50,511 cusecs at 10 am. The water will reach Delhi in about 72 hours. Later, the water started receding and it was about 1 lakh cusecs at 3 pm. According to information, the heavy rainfall in the upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh has led to a sudden rise in the water level of the Yamuna. Vinod Kumar, Executive Engineer, Water Services Division, Dadupur, said the water level from 1.25 lakh cusecs to 2.5 lakh cusecs is considered a medium flood. According to information, the water supply in the western Yamuna canal was stopped and its gates were closed at the barrage to let the water flow downstream in the river. “Once the water level at the barrage exceeds 70,000 cusecs, the gates of the canal are closed. It is done as the high level can damage the gates,” said Vinod Kumar.

Girish Arora, Deputy Commissioner, Yamunanagar, told mediapersons that the local administration was alert. He said WhatsApp groups adding ex-sarpanches, numberdars, chowkidars, block development and panchayat officers and tehsildars had been made to exchange flood-related information.