Embankments raised & boats on patrol: Lessons from 2023 floods

Ghaziabad: Hit by a deluge on the first day of monsoon’s arrival in Delhi-NCR and the possibility of heavy rain still looming, the administration got into a huddle with the irrigation department and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Saturday to assess flood-control measures, especially after last year’s abnormal swelling of the Hindon.The river, which perennially flows in a narrow channel, flooded for the first time in 43 years because of heavy rain in its catchment in 2023, flooding hundreds of houses in several villages in Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar next to it, many of the newer concrete structures built on the encroached course of the river. In Delhi, the Yamuna was in spate, displacing many.“A total of 13 villages have been declared flood-prone in Loni, including Alipur, Pachera, Badarpur and Meepur Hindu. Watchtowers have been constructed along Yamuna, while two high-speed boats have been deputed to keep a watch along the river. A team has been formed to oversee this,” Loni sub-divisional magistrate Nikhil Chakravarty said.An official from the irrigation department said they are fortifying the Alipur embankment, which was breached last year, leading to floods in Loni. “The Yamuna had flowed well above the 209m danger mark last monsoon at 212.1m, so the embankment has been strengthened to withstand water influx over and above 212m,” the official said. Boats are patrolling the river as well.Ghaziabad reported six deaths due to drowning in the Yamuna last monsoon, as well as property losses of around Rs 30 crore, according to govt data. The overflowing Hindon displaced more than 20,000 people from 27 villages located along the river. “Areas along the Hindon that have been termed vulnerable are City Forest, Surana, Karhera, Attor Nagla, Bahlolpur, Chhijarsi, Bahadurpur, Bhadoli, Nekpur and Suthari,” said Atul Kumar, an official from the irrigation department.Water levels in the Hindon and Yamuna remain well below the danger mark but are gradually rising. On Saturday, Hindon’s level increased to 198.15 metres from 197.66m on Friday. The danger mark is 205.08 metres. Yamuna’s level stayed at 194.6m on both days.Atul Kumar, additional DM of Gautam Budh Nagar, said the administration is taking precautionary measures.“Teams are monitoring the water level. We have also advised people living along Hindon and Yamuna to be alert. There is no forecast of heavy rainfall in catchment areas and it is unlikely that water levels will rise in the next 12-14 hours,” he said.In 2023, around 3,700 people were displaced from 18 villages along the Hindon and Yamuna floodplains in Gautam Budh Nagar.