New Delhi on high alert as Yamuna water level rise to nearly over four-decade high

The authorities in India's New Delhi are on high alert as Yamuna River is witnessing a rise in water levels, currently at a 45-year-high, with expectations of it reaching an all-time high later in the day, NDTV reported Wednesday, as several riverside areas have been flooded.

The water level crossed the 207.49-metre mark today after torrential rains in the upper catchment areas covering Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, among other states, during the past few days, according to Hindustan Times.

The river last hit 207.49 meters on September 6, 1978.

The rise in water levels has flooded homes and markets, causing difficulties for residents, local media said, with the Delhi traffic police asking commuters to avoid affected stretches.

The authorities have also deployed boats to spread awareness along river banks and for rescue work.

"The last time we saw so much water was in 2013. Flooding destroys our shops, ruins stocks. We suffer big losses," a shopkeeper told NDTV.

New Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said there is a flood-like situation in the national capital, but the government is prepared to tackle every situation.

The police had, a day earlier, closed the Iron Bridge Pusta Road in Gandhi Nagar for traffic until further notice in view of the dangerously high water levels in the Yamuna River.

The Delhi government set up 16 control rooms to monitor the Yamuna level and the flood-prone areas. Around 41,000 people inhabit the low-lying areas near the river, which are vulnerable to flooding, according to Hindustan Times.