After two days of incessant raining, authorities in India’s capital city New Delhi began evacuating hundreds of residents over the risk of flooding, as record rainfall has swelled water levels in Yamuna – the river that runs through the city.
The river rose to its highest level on record on Wednesday, submerging low-lying areas in the city of 20 million people, state Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said.
He said the water levels had surged to a 45-year high, leading to evacuation of an estimated 16,000 people so far, media reports said.
People living in makeshift houses next to the river put their belongings on bikes and tractors and moved to some of the 2,500 relief camps set up in the city.
“The water level is continuing to rise and there is a flood-like situation at present… it is likely to rise further,” Kejriwal told reporters as he asked those living near the river to evacuate their homes.
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