A portion of the Nigambodh Ghat in east Delhi has been flooded as the Yamuna river breached the danger mark of 205.33 meters, forcing authorities to ask people living in low-lying areas to evacuate to safer places.
The pyres facing the river were turned into islands as Yamuna waters entered the ghat on Monday evening, even as a few people went on with the last rituals of their family members.
To this end, the Old Loha Pul has been closed for pedestrians and vehicular traffic.
The ghat falls under the jurisdiction of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC).
Authorities in the national capital started to evacuate families from areas like Gandhi Nagar and Yamuna Bank metro station near Akshardham, on Monday. Haryana released a record 8.28 lakh cusecs water in the Yamuna on Sunday.
"Water from the Yamuna has entered the front portion of the ghat, where a few pyres are located. These pyres are out in the open and used generally by people from hill states, who follow their own rituals," a senior EDMC official said.
"The main cremation pyres are located about 8 ft above the the pyres in the open, so no threat of water level going there. As far as people doing rituals in the open near the river, they will have to go elsewhere in Delhi like Punjabi Bagh crematorium," he said.
More than 10,000 people living in low-lying areas along the Yamuna were evacuated by government agencies, with the river breaching the danger mark on Monday evening.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said several teams have been formed to evacuate people living in low-lying areas along the river.
(with inputs from agencies)
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