Delhi flood wrath unleashes on low income groups

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By Baijayanti Rout

Ahmedabad, July 25: Yamuna River’s greatest level was 205.02 metres as of 10 p.m. on Saturday 22nd July, 2023, barely shy of the danger barrier of 205.33 metres. Water flowing from the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana took 36 hours to reach the national capital.

Meanwhile, the Delhi administration has been on high alert as a result of the barrage’s outflow of nearly 2 lakh cusecs of water. Due to the recent heavy rain, Delhi is in the midst of one of its worst flood-like crises.

Around 26,401 people have been evacuated from flood-affected low-lying areas in six Delhi districts, with around 21,504 individuals residing in 44 camps (including temporary relief camps as well as Pucca Buildings like as schools and community centres). The remaining evacuated persons have gone to places of their choosing, such as relatives’ homes or rented housing.

The rise in water levels might stymie efforts to rehabilitate people devastated by floods in the capital’s low-lying regions. As a result, these families may have to stay in relief camps for an extended amount of time. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a rain warning for isolated areas in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh until July 22.

In addition, considerable rain is expected in Delhi on Wednesday (26th July). The water level of the Yamuna River is projected to rise due to the potential of significant rains in the higher catchment areas. There are several natural disasters occurring all around the planet.

The contrived calamity, on the other hand, may be observed in the example of the Delhi flood. The policymakers’ and other stakeholders’ are not very serious about various harmful activities on the riverbank.

Experts attribute the record floods in Delhi to a number of things. These include development on floodplains, shorter-duration heavy rainfall events, and silt deposit leading to a higher riverbed. The government should take strict steps to ensure future safety. Not just in Delhi, but also in other areas of water catchment, there should have strong policies be implemented to ensure public safety.

“The situation has sparked concern, prompting the government to take proactive measures to ensure the safety and well-being of the residents,” said Atishi, the revenue minister for Delhi. To deal with the scenario, the authorities have made enough preparations in the central district, eastern district, and places such as Yamuna Bazar and Yamuna Khadar, according to the minister.

Officials cautioned on Saturday that the Yamuna water level in Delhi is likely to have an impact on relief and rehabilitation efforts in the capital’s flood-affected low-lying neighborhoods. Many people from low-income families have relocated to Delhi, our national capital, in order to earn a high income.

Street sellers and small businesses are springing up to support their families. However, the unnatural flood put a strain on their finances which made them more vulnerable. Shops were swamped with water, and income was reduced to nil (zero); it was extremely difficult to restore their economy to normalcy. As a result, the government should pay close attention to them so that they do not become more susceptible.