Yamuna water level starts receding, at 9 pm it was 208.07 metres

New Delhi [India], July 15 : The water level of the Yamuna River started receding on Friday and it was recorded at 208.07 metres at 9 pm at the Old Railway Bridge.
The Delhi Government said that the present level of river water at Old Railway Bridge at 9 pm on July 14 is 208.07 metres and is expected to become around 208.05 metres. 
"Today at 8 PM, 57363 cusecs water was discharged from Hathni Kund Barrage. As per the latest forecast issued by Central Water Commission (CWC) on July 14 at 11:30 AM, the water level at Old Railway Bridge (ORB) is expected to be at 208.05 Metres on July 14 between 10:00 PM to 12:00 AM and thereafter, it is likely to decrease," an official statement said. 
Delhi Public Works Department Minister Atishi said that the water level of the Yamuna river is receding gradually at a rate of 0.1 metres and will take a day’s time for the situation to return to normal.
Delhi Government also said that a total of 25,478 people have been evacuated so far. 
"25,478 people have been evacuated. 22,803 people are in tents/shelters. 16 teams of NDRF have been deployed in flood-affected districts in rescue work. Some of the low-lying areas of Delhi have witnessed flood water due to very high levels of river water and consequent backflow of water, breach of embankments etc," an official statement issued by the Delhi government said. 
The government also said that 45 boats (17 pertaining to Boat Club and 28 pertaining to Irrigation and Flood Control Department) have been put on duty for awareness, and evacuation and rescue work.
Earlier today Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inspected the work to open 5 gates of Yamuna Barrage and said that they are trying to get these gates opened and bring the situation back to normal.
The Chief Minister also expressed grief over the death of three children who drowned in a ditch, filled with water amid severe waterlogging in the national capital on Friday.
"It is very unfortunate. Those three children went swimming in the river. We have warned so many times that do not go near the rivers. This is a very big crisis. Everyone should work together and not play the blame game," Kejriwal said.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday informed that the first jammed gate of the ITO Barrage has been opened.
CM Kejriwal said that the gate opening operation took nearly 20 hours after a diving team extracted the silt from under the water with a compressor. 
"After nearly 20 hours of non-stop toil, the first jammed gate of the ITO Barrage has been opened. A diving team extracted the silt from under the water with a compressor, then the gate was pulled up with a hydra crane," Arvind Kejriwal tweeted. 
Hitting out at the Kejriwal-led government over the flood situation in the national capital, Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs and Culture Meenakashi Lekhi alleged that the elected government failed Delhi.
MoS Lekhi said that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal keeps on blaming the Central Government and does not take any responsibility.
''There is a sense of helplessness among people. The elected government has failed Delhi...the flood control department gets a huge budget. Nothing has been done...they could have built embankments, and schools should have been used as relief camps...CM Kejriwal keeps on blaming the Centre and does not take any responsibility”, MoS Lekhi said.
With the Yamuna river in Delhi flowing above the danger mark for days creating a flood-like situation across the city, Aam Aadmi Party alleged that the BJP through its government in Haryana is "intentionally" diverting the water to the national capital.
After Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the Centre did not send NDRF team on time in view of the flood situation in Delhi, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Friday said that everyone should work together to tackle the current situation instead of indulging in politics.
The ongoing flooding woes in the national capital brought Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, who have been trading barbs in the recent past, together as the two briefed the media jointly on the prevailing situation, saying, "We need to work as a team".
Flanked by CM Kejriwal, ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, L-G Saxena on Friday inspected a flooded stretch near Vikas Bhawan, ITO where a drain regulator was damaged.
The L-G was responding to Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, who said the NDRF team reached the spot only on Friday, even after several requests to the officers last night.
"Thank you, the situation would have been better had the NDRF reached the spot last night itself," Bharadwaj said.
L-G Saxena said, "I would like to tell you that this is not the time to resort to a blame game or point fingers at each other. Right now, we need to work as a team. I, too, can say a lot of things but this isn't what we should do at this time."
"Everyone should work for tackling the current situation rather than doing politics on it. We are sending the team as per requirement. 15 NDRF teams have been deployed in Delhi. 4,346 people have been rescued and shifted to safer areas. 179 animals have also been rescued,” MoS Rai said.
Amid the decreasing water level of the Yamuna River in Delhi on Friday, several parts of the national capital are still facing waterlogging and flooding, affecting traffic movements.
Commuters were seen pushing their motorcycles through the waters on ITO road while a massive traffic snarl was witnessed at NH-24 near Sarai Kale Khan T-Junction in Delhi.
Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday predicted that Delhi will likely receive light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms during the next 4-5 days.