For the fourth consecutive day, rising waters of the Yamuna have kept thousands of residents in Gautam Budh Nagar away from their homes and fields, forcing them to live in relief shelters even as the discharge at barrages and river levels showed a marginal decline on Friday.
According to district officials, around 3,800 people from more than 40 villages across Sadar, Dadri and Jewar tehsils have been affected. Nearly 2,600 people remain in 15 shelters, where community kitchens are providing meals and medical teams are stationed round-the-clock. So far, 420 relief kits have been distributed, of which Dadri received 160 and Sadar got 260.
Barrage discharges declining
At the Okhla barrage, the discharge stood at 235,550 cusec on Friday, a drop from Thursday’s 254,478 cusec when the river level had touched 200.60 metres, the danger mark. At the Hindon barrage, the discharge reduced to 6,189 cusec on Friday from 6,487 cusec a day earlier, while the water level came down slightly to 199.950 metres from Thursday’s 200 metres.
“The discharge and water levels at both the Okhla and Hindon barrages have shown a decline compared to Thursday. At Okhla, the discharge has come down to 2.35 lakh cusec from over 254,000 cusec, and the level has also reduced slightly from the danger mark. A similar trend is visible at Hindon Barrage. This indicates that the pressure on the river system is easing, and we expect a further reduction in the coming days if there is no fresh heavy rainfall upstream,” said BK Singh, executive engineer, irrigation.
Relief and rescue efforts
District magistrate Medha Roopam said the administration was monitoring the situation round-the-clock and had made adequate arrangements at shelters. “The administration is monitoring the situation round-the-clock, and rescue operations are being carried out in affected areas. Adequate arrangements for food, drinking water, sanitation and medical support have been made in all shelters,” she said.
“Residents are urged not to venture near rivers or drains and must not pay heed to rumours. In case of any emergency, they should immediately contact the control room numbers, which are active 24×7. Updated assessments will determine the next course of measures,” she added.
For rescue operations, 19 flood posts have been set up—six in Sadar, eight in Dadri and five in Jewar. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and fire services are actively engaged in evacuations. On Friday, NDRF evacuated 44 people from Sector 151 (Sadar tehsil) and Jhuppa village (Jewar tehsil), while SDRF rescued 40 people from low-lying areas. PAC and fire service teams remain deployed at Sector 135 and Dankaur, officials said.
Families displaced, cattle camps set up
The prolonged displacement has begun to weigh on families. “We have been at the shelter for three nights now. The food is there, but how long can we live like this?” asked Ram Kishan, a farmer from Jewar, whose cattle have been shifted to the animal camp at Sector 135’s green belt.
To ensure animal safety, a dedicated cattle camp has been set up along Pusta Road in Sector 135, where 1,471 cattle have been moved to safe enclosures so far. More than 1,400 cattle are being provided fodder and shelter.
For the convenience of the public, the administration has made operational a flood control room with helpline numbers 0120-2978231, 2978232 and 2978233.
Health measures
On the health front, the Gautam Budh Nagar health department has deployed six medical response teams across relief shelters to provide round-the-clock support. These teams are conducting regular health check-ups and are stocked with essential medicines, including anti-snake venom and emergency drugs.
“The doctors and paramedical staff have been stationed in shelters to respond to complaints ranging from fever and dehydration to potential waterborne diseases, which are common in flood-affected areas. Our priority is to ensure that families staying in camps receive immediate medical care and that no epidemic-like situation arises,” said Dr Narendra Kumar, chief medical officer (Gautam Budh Nagar).
Weather outlook
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded 8.0 mm of rainfall in Gautam Budh Nagar in the past 24 hours and did not issue any major weather warnings for the district. The IMD said skies will remain partly cloudy over the coming days with maximum temperatures around 33–35°C and minimums of 25–26°C. It has forecast a chance of one or two spells of rain or thundershowers on September 7 and again around September 10–11.
With humidity hovering between 70 and 90 per cent, officials said even light rain could slow the pace of floodwater recession and add to the discomfort of families staying in relief camps.