Delhi Rains: Nigambodh Ghat, Relief Camps Flooded As Yamuna Swells Past 207 Metres | Watch Videos
Delhi Rains: The water from the flooded river entered the Nigambodh Ghat, Delhi's oldest and busiest cremation ground, forcing it to halt operations.
Yamuna floodwater caused mayhem in several key stretches of the national capital on Thursday, Sept. 4. Shop goods were destroyed and traffic in several areas was disrupted, throwing life out of gear for thousands of people in New Delhi, as the river breached the 207-metre market for the fifth time since 1963.
The water from the flooded river entered the Nigambodh Ghat, Delhi's oldest and busiest cremation ground, forcing it to halt operations. The Nigambodh facility stopped conducting cremations around 2.30 pm, and only the rituals which began earlier in the morning were being completed, an MCD official said.
Located along the Ring Road behind the Red Fort, Nigambodh Ghat, with a capacity of 42 cremation platforms, is the city's oldest, largest, and busiest cremation ground. On average, it handles 55 to 60 cremations daily.
The Geeta Colony crematorium was also flooded, forcing the staff to look for dry places to carry out cremations. Sanjay Sharma, head of the Geeta Colony crematorium, told PTI-Videos they had not shut down operations.
"We are somehow managing the last rites, but only the road inside the cremation ground is left usable. Right now, we are carrying out cremations on the road itself, but if the water level rises further, even that may get blocked," he said.
Videos also showed some of the flooded relief camps set up near Mayur Vihar-Phase 1 as the Yamuna River continues to swell due to continuous rainfall.
Meanwhile, Public Works Department (PWD) officials attributed the accumulation to seepage issues rather than fresh water flowing in from the Yamuna. ''This is only rainfall water that is occurring due to poor seepage conditions in the area. It is taking more than usual time to clear out this water as the outlet to Yamuna is closed,'' a PWD official claimed.
All 13 regulator drains in the city were closed to avoid any backflow of water from the Yamuna as the water level in the river is high and reaching a critical point, a government official told PTI.
Relief Operations
The government has set up relief camps at 38 locations, setting up 522 tents at 27 locations. Carrying personal belongings on their heads, people waded through neck-deep water to move to safer locations. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, and fire department have been roped in to carry out the rescue work.
According to the revenue department, while 8,018 people have been moved to tents, 2,030 have been shifted to 13 permanent shelters. The government has stressed that there is no need to panic, and it is keeping a round-the-clock vigil on the situation.
Rainfall Statistics In Delhi
Delhi battled one of its worst flood-like situations in 2023, when several areas were inundated after heavy rain and over 25,000 people had to be evacuated. In 2023, when the city was hit by severe flooding, the Yamuna's level rose to 208.66 metres. The other highest ever was in 1978, when the river bobbed at 207.49 metres. In 2010, its level rose to 207.11 metres, and in 2013 to 207.32 metres.
The river that year reached an all-time high of 208.66 metres, surpassing the previous all-time record of 207.49 metres set in September 1978. The river breached embankments and penetrated deeper into the city than it had in over four decades.
- with inputs from PTI
