Flood fears abate in Taj city

AGRA - With no further rise in the water level in the Yamuna, people living along the banks of the river in Agra heaved a sigh of relief Thursday.

The water level has remained stationery at 496.9 feet for the past eight hours, indicating that it could lead to a gradual fall on Friday.

Irrigation department officials felt the grim flood situation had been averted due to breaches in the river in Mathura and Aligarh districts, where fields had been flooded and crops damaged.

Discharge from the Gokul barrage in Mathura was also reduced, but more water was released from Okhla on Thursday, which could take three days to reach Agra, officials said.

District authorities Thursday imposed section 144 to prevent people from crowding the river front and participating in the Tairaki Mela, (river swimming contest) which is a grand affair.

District Magistrate Amrit Abhijat appealed to the people not to swim or jump into the flooded Yamuna as there could be loss of life. However people continued to swim and enjoy at the Balkeshwar, Kailash and Dussehra ghats.