Haryana CM directs DCs to make necessary arrangements

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday directed all the deputy commissioners of the affected districts in the state to make the necessary arrangements to deal with any adverse situation caused by the rising water level in the Yamuna.

Khattar spoke over the phone with DCs of Yamunanagar, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Karnal, and Sonipat, giving them necessary instructions to extend all kinds of assistance to the people affected due to heavy rains and floods in these districts, an official spokesperson said here.

Directions had been issued to evacuate people from the affected areas of Yamunanagar, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Panipat, and Sonepat.

The water level of the Yamuna has recorded the "highest increase" to date, due to recent heavy rains, Haryana Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora said on Tuesday.

In view of the prevailing flood situation, 25 families have been safely evacuated from Sonipat and Karnal districts. All arrangements have been made by the state government to deal with any adverse situation, she said.

Arora informed this through video conferencing in a review meeting held on the flood situation in Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi, which was held under the chairmanship of Union Cabinet Secretary, Pradeep Kumar Sinha, on Tuesday, according to a Haryana government release here.

During the meeting, Arora said that 8.14 lakh cusecs of water were recorded in the Yamuna in 2013, which was the highest till that year.

This time, the water level in the Yamuna has increased to 8.28 lakh cusecs, she said.

She said that Yamuna water would reach Delhi by Tuesday evening and the administrative officials of the national capital have already been alerted about this.

Arora said that after Delhi, this water would reach Faridabad and Palwal districts of Haryana.

Therefore, about 500 families have already been evacuated from low-lying areas along with these two Haryana districts.

She said Markanda, Tangri, and Ghaggar rivers have also recorded a slight increase in water level, but now the water level has started to recede.

In the Yamuna, the water level rose dangerously at Hathnikund barrage in Yamunanagar on Sunday.

Many rivulets also join the swollen Yamuna in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh before it enters the national capital.

Haryana's Department of Revenue and Disaster Management had on Sunday issued a high flood warning, alerting Deputy Commissioners of Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat, Faridabad and Palwal.

The Yamuna river discharge at 6 pm on Sunday was 8,28,072 cusecs which were categorized as a "high flood" situation.

Arora said the water level of rivers is constantly being monitored.

"Adequate arrangements have been made by the government to deal with any adverse situation," she said.