Delhi flood: Could this be worse than the devastation caused by Yamuna in 1978?

The Ganga’s longest tributary, the Yamuna, spans around 22km in the national capital. After unprecedented rainfall and the release of water from Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana, Yamuna has inundated countless homes, offices and shops in Delhi. Roads are water-logged. Schools and non-essential government offices have been closed. Private centres have been advised to work from home. At 4pm on Thursday, July 13, water level had reached 208.6m. This is higher even than the devastating 1978 Delhi flood when the water level had reached 207.49m. The situation is still grim as there are chances of a further rise in the water level. Amit Bhattacharya, senior editor with the Times of India, Delhi, gives a first-hand account of the flood situation way back in 1978 and the scenario now. What will be the flood situation over the next few days? As of now, this is a one in 60 or 70-year event. The Central Water Commission has records of the past 60 years. Water level currently is the highest ever recorded — 208.6m. This is one metre higher than the level reached in 1978, which was the previous highest recorded. It’s not just higher, but much higher than the previous high. Perhaps this happens once or twice in a century. Till Thursday night the water level could rise. After this, we expect water to recede since water from the Hathnikund Barrage has reduced. In the flooded areas, water may remain stagnant if not pumped out. It will be a challenge to return to normalcy over the next few days. How bad was the 1978 Delhi flood? 1978 was a landmark year for two reasons: Floods happened in September and a freak tornado hit the city in March. It happened in north Delhi. Amit said he lived there and he witnessed from a distance a great greyish funnel of air going up, and what appeared to be paper sheets flying high. Later, he realized that those were not paper, but roofs of houses, corrugated asbestos sheets that were going up like paper. Some 70 people died then. Just a few months later came the floods. Amit recalled going to school in Radio Colony, which was one of the first and worst affected areas. They could see a sea of water beyond the six feet high school boundary wall. It was a frightening sight. Amit recalled how water stealthily entered many neighboring areas at night. People sleeping in their bedrooms found their beds moved to the other side of the room because of water. That’s what made him understand the importance of hydrology and topography of a city, said Amit. Forty-five years later, how different is the situation? The situation is different and the same in many ways. The situation is different because since 1978, many bunds have been built. A road has been built called Mukarba Chowk Bypass Road. It was purposely built on a high ground. This road acts as a bund against river water coming to north Delhi. Areas that saw floods in 1978 — Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Model Town, Mukherjee Nagar, Parmanand Colony, Tagore Park — are by and large safe. But the river is the same, so is its course and the floodplains. Many mistakes made in city planning remain with us. In 1911, after the coronation of Emperor George V, the British wanted to move the capital from Calcutta to New Delhi. The emperor laid the foundation stone of the new city in north Delhi at a place where the Delhi University stands today. Later, British engineers looked at the topography of the place and decided against building the new city. It had many low-lying areas, the river was not far, and the floodplains were perilously close to where the new city would have come up. So, they shifted it to Raisina Hills where Lutyen’s Delhi stands today. They were mindful of the hydrology and topography of the region. After Independence, these areas grew on all sides. As a result, low lying areas still face waterlogging. Every time it rains, the entire area gets water-logged because it is a low-lying area. Also, there are many more encroachments today on the floodplains of the Yamuna. Every year, the river breaches its usual banks. The entire region is a floodplain. Planners have been telling us to leave it alone and not do construction here as it constricts the river’s flow. What is the future of people living on the flood plains? Because of the flood risk, more than 16,000 people have been evacuated. Often, the needs and aspirations of people trumps over what science tells us. Obviously, there’s political pressure. If you go against science and hydrology, then in the long run these are the people who suffer. It doesn't pay in the long run, if you go against science. The city must slowly shift the settlements to another place. Unless we leave the river to flow freely through the city, floods will keep threatening the city. Audio Production: Prateek Kapoor