https://arab.news/gau59
- At least 7 people were reported dead due to flood-related accidents in Mumbai
- Delhi braced as the water level of the Yamuna River neared the danger mark
NEW DELHI: New Delhi and Mumbai were on flood alert on Monday as water levels in the Yamuna River rose dangerously in the capital and heavy rains disrupted the country’s financial hub.
Mumbai received heavy rainfall in the morning, prompting the India Meteorological Department to issue a red alert for the city and its suburbs for the next two days and advise residents to “avoid stepping out unless absolutely necessary.”
Following the alert, the city’s municipal corporation closed all schools and colleges in the city.
Traffic was disrupted not only in the city’s low-lying areas but even in those that are not usually flooded during the monsoon season — the main reason behind the current rainfall.
“This area is located higher than other parts of Mumbai. There has been knee-deep water in my area, too. It has been raining incessantly without any break,” said Madhu Nainan, a resident of Mumbai’s Mahim area.
“I did not go to the office today and decided to work from home. Mumbai in the rainy season becomes really tough to navigate. This time it’s really heavy.”
Anarkali Khatun from Antop Hill, one of the city’s higher neighborhoods, said she had to wade through deep water to reach her workplace.
“It was not easy to navigate the water. If the rain keeps falling, I fear it will not be easy for us to move,” she said.
The office of the chief minister of Maharashtra state said on Monday evening that seven people have died in various flood-related incidents.
“The next 10–12 hours are crucial for Mumbai, and the administration has been instructed to take necessary precautions,” it said in a statement.
The national capital, New Delhi, was also bracing for the night as the water level of the Yamuna River, its main waterway, was expected to cross the danger mark of 205.33 m due to the release from the upstream Wazirabad and Hathnikund barrages in neighboring Haryana, according to a warning by the Central Water Commission.
Under Delhi government protocol, thousands of people are to be evacuated from areas along the river once the level reaches 206 m.