Yamuna crosses danger mark, Dikshit say Delhi is safe (Second lead)

NEW DELHI - With Haryana releasing a huge volume of water into it, the Yamuna river Thursday crossed the danger mark in the capital posing a flood threat, but Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit said there was no need to panic.

The Yamuna was flowing at 205.00 metres in the evening, above the danger mark of 204.83 metres, forcing the authorities to evacuate thousands of people from low-lying areas along the meandering river in the city\’s eastern district.

\”About 99 percent of citizens living in low-lying areas have been shifted to safer locations and there is no need to panic,\” Dikshit told reporters. \”The situation is under control.\”

But she admitted that release of fresh water into the Yamuna by neighbouring Haryana would make the situation difficult.

\”Yes, it should be,\” she said when a reporter asked if Haryana\’s action would increase the problems in Delhi.

Officials said evacuation of people had taken place in populous areas including Usmanpur, Garhi Mandu and Batla House.

Irrigation and flood department officials informed IANS that at 6 p.m Thursday, 155,567 cusecs of water was released from Haryana\’s Hathnikund barrage that led to the spate in Yamuna.

Flood alert in low-lying areas of Delhi was issued when over 600,000 cusecs of water was released from the barrage Wednesday.

This was the highest inflow of water towards Delhi in recent weeks, raising fears of flooding on the river banks.

Due to heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and in various parts of Haryana in recnet days, there has been heavy inflow of water in the Yamuna, Som, Pathrala, Markanda, Tangri, Ghaggar and Roon rivers.

Many villages and towns in Haryana have been flooded.

According to Delhi government officials, there will not be a 1978-like situation, when the capital witnessed its worst flooding.

Delhi\’s Flood Control Minister Rajkumar Chavan said: \”At that time (in 1978) the dam was damaged which led to the flood but this year the same situation doesn\’t prevail.

\”The water level will continue to rise for the next two days, but nothing to worry as we are on alert and our authorities are keeping strict vigil on the Yamuna levels. Apart from shifting people from low-lying areas, more water pumps have been put into service to pump out the water,\” he