Nation

IIE DIGITAL DESK : Heavy monsoon rains have pushed the Yamuna River in Delhi well above its danger mark, causing widespread flooding across the capital. The swelling waters have inundated relief camps, halted cremation services, submerged parks, and crippled critical infrastructure, forcing mass evacuations and emergency responses.

The Yamuna surged past the 207-metre mark—the fifth time since 1963—with levels stabilizing between 207.47 m and 207.48 m during early morning hours. Relief camps near Mayur Vihar Phase I, intended to shelter displaced families, were themselves submerged, leaving sheltered individuals scrambling for alternative refuge.

The rising tide swallowed key civic spaces. At Nigambodh Ghat—Delhi’s largest and oldest cremation ground—operations were suspended as water encroached upon pyre areas around mid-afternoon.  Nearby, the Geeta Colony crematorium, though flooded, continues to host last rites, with staff improvising on the available road when grounds were submerged.

Waterlogging infiltrated urban neighborhoods as well. Monastery Market, Loha Pul (Old Railway Bridge), Kashmere Gate, Civil Lines, and Bela Road were among the areas hit. Vehicles and building complexes were submerged, businesses shut down, and traffic snarled. The Loha Pul was closed to traffic entirely.

Several parks and ghats in the Yamuna floodplains—Vasudev Ghat, Kalindi Aviral, Amrut Biodiversity Park, and Baansera Park—were submerged and consequently closed. Activists criticized the upkeep of ornamental plant installations in floodplain areas, arguing they both impair ecology and waste public funds, as they cannot survive recurring floods.

In northern and western Delhi, heavy damage to infrastructure compounded the crisis. A section of a flyover near NH-44 in Alipur collapsed, burying a three-wheeler beneath crumbled debris and injuring the driver. Traffic disruption extended across the Ring Road, Bela Road, and Jamuna Road, with deep water causing significant delays.

The swelling waters forced evacuations across low-lying areas. In particular, over 10,000 residents of Delhi were relocated from 28 vulnerable locations to relief shelters. In Ghaziabad’s Badarpur Khadar village, over 25 families were rescued by the NDRF after the river breached the 209-metre danger mark. Relief shelters have been set up, and protective sandbag embankments readied as authorities brace for further escalation.

The worst of the rain may not yet be over. Agencies across the region remain on high alert, with IMD issuing flood warnings and forecasting ongoing heavy showers in the coming days.Delhi’s air quality has temporarily improved to the 'satisfactory' category with an AQI of 57.

The Yamuna’s overflow has triggered a multifaceted emergency in Delhi. Relief camps and cremation grounds have collapsed under floodwaters. Parks and ghats are submerged; infrastructure like flyovers and metro approach roads have failed. Thousands have been displaced, and civic systems strained to cope. With more rain on the way, the capital remains on precarious ground, balancing humanitarian needs with managing a monsoon-fueled disaster that refuses to relent.