NEW DELHI: The river running through India’s capital New Delhi has reached a record high due to monsoon floods, authorities said on Friday as army engineers were deployed to try to contain the waters.

The Yamuna river was flowing in an “EXTREME FLOOD SITUATION”, India’s central water commission tweeted, having reached a record width of 208.66 metres late on Thursday.

The figure surpassed the previous mark of 207.49 metres, reached in 1978, and the flows threatened low-lying neighbourhoods in the megacity of more than 20 million people.

Authorities deployed army engineers around a barrage and thousands of people have moved to temporary relief camps.

All schools, colleges, and non-essential government offices have been ordered to remain shut till at least Sunday as several key roads and bridges are also under water.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that state personnel and army engineers were working to “try to ensure that the flood waters do not enter the [main areas of the] city”, but warned that more rain was forecast for Saturday.

Conditions in Delhi may depend on the situation in several upstream northern states which have received heavy to very heavy rains in the last few days.

At least 90 people have lost their lives in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttara­khand, and Haryana in recent days, according to local media reports.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2023