Delhi rains update: The flood water reached the Red Fort in the national capital on Thursday. The monument was closed for visitors for the second half of Thursday and will remain shut on July 14 (Friday) in view of the flood-like situation in parts of Delhi, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials said.
After breaching the danger mark on Monday, waters from the raging Yamuna spilled onto the roads of the national capital, inundating several areas. The Yamuna waters also reached the walls of the Mughal-era Red Fort, a UNESCO world heritage site, and people were seen navigating through waist-deep and in some places neck-high water.
Severe waterlogging was also reported in Rajghat and Purana Qila areas.
"ln exercise of the powers conferred under Rule 5 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Rules, 1959, the Director General, Archaeological Survey of India, hereby direct that the Red Fort, Delhi, shall remain closed for the public and general visitors from the second half of July 13 to July 14, 2023, due to heavy monsoon and rainfall," stated an ASI order on Thursday.
Built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, the celebrated fort is located near the Yamuna river in old Delhi.
Flood water also entered Sushruta Trauma Centre at Metcalf Road in Delhi today (July 13).
Signature Bridge has been closed for traffic movement amid the rising water level in Yamuna River. There is a massive traffic jam reported from Gokulpuri to Bhajanpura amid the unprecedented flood situation in the national capital.
Schools, colleges update in Delhi:
All Delhi schools and colleges will remain closed till Sunday (July 16) and government offices, except those providing essential services, will resort to work from home, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday.
Talking to media after the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meeting with Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on the unprecedented flood situation in the national capital, Kejriwal said, “We had a DDMA meeting. Several important decisions were taken. Schools, colleges & universities will remain closed till Sunday. All government offices, except those providing essential services, will have Work from Home till Sunday. Advisory is being issued for private offices to do the same.”
CM said that entry of heavy vehicles, except those providing essential services have been banned.“Water rationing will have to be done as three Water Treatment Plants are shut and people will face water crisis for a day or two. Heavy vehicles, except those providing essential services, that enter Delhi will not be allowed. There were issues of toilets and bathrooms at relief camps. So, the camps are being shifted to schools. There are over 20,000 people in relief camps”, Kejriwal told media.
NDRF deployment in affected areas:
The CM further told ANI that NDRF teams are deployed and will request for more if the situation demands.
“NDRF teams are deployed, if needed we will request more. Also, arrangement have been made for more NDRF relief boats. We expect the water to recede by tomorrow”, he said.
As per NDRF inputs, a total of 12 NDRF teams have been deployed in Delhi which includes three in Central Delhi, three in North-East Delhi, two in South-East Delhi, three in East Delhi and one in Shahdara.
Meanwhile, in view of the rising water level of River Yamuna, the Delhi government banned entry of Heavy Good Vehicles from the Singhu Border, Badarpur Border, Loni Border and Chilla Border. Interstate buses from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand terminating at ISBT Kashmere Gate will terminate at Singhu border.
