Yamuna recedes, silt remains: Delhi's flood-affected families stuck between relief camps and ruined homes

New Delhi: For thousands living in tents after the recent Yamuna floods, the biggest hurdle to returning home is not water anymore, but the layers of silt that must be cleared, and then waiting for the home to dry before life can resume.

Vinod (47), a daily wage labourer from Ghat number 28, has been away from his home for over a month. “There is a lot of mud in our home. We need to remove all of it first and then again leave the house empty for some days to let it dry. Only then can we move back,” he told PTI. Vinod, who is living in the Yamuna Bazar relief camps with wife and his six children, said his children have been missing school and college for over a month now.

"Our children help manage and keep our belongings safe in the relief camps while I and my wife go out to work or clean the mud. They will be able to resume their studies only after we shift back to our home." Neelam Devi (45), from Ghat number 27, echoed a similar struggle and said, “It is hours of tiresome work to clean so much silt. We don't have money to hire help. Once the mud is out, we still need the house to dry, which depends on the weather.” Meanwhile, Mamata said the situation has become exhausting.

“It’s been more than three weeks. We just want to go back to our homes. You won't find any adult here in the tents – they all go during the day to clean their homes,” the 20-year-old woman said.

Even as people prepare for the long task of reclaiming their homes, the Yamuna is showing signs of retreat. The water level at the Old Railway Bridge dropped to 205.22 metres at 2 pm on Monday, slightly down from the danger mark of 205.33 metres a day earlier, officials said.

The river, which had touched this season's highest of 207.48 metres last Thursday, is expected to decline further to 205.02 metres by 8 pm today, according to a flood control bulletin.

The warning mark for the Yamuna is 204.50 metres, the danger mark is 205.33 metres, and evacuation begins at 206 metres. The river breached the danger mark last Tuesday, leading to the evacuation of nearly 10,000 people from low-lying areas such as Monastery Market, Madanpur Khadar, Yamuna Bazar and parts of Mayur Vihar.

Tents have been set up on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, near Mori Gate and in Mayur Vihar to temporarily accommodate displaced families.

Delhi faced one of its worst flood-like situations in 2023 when the Yamuna touched an all-time high of 208.66 metres on July 13, inundating large parts of the city and forcing over 25,000 people to relief camps.

As the river recedes now, residents are hopeful yet cautious. For most, the wait is not just about water levels but about clearing mud, drying walls and reclaiming homes step by step.