An unpredictable river as neighbour

The residents of Yamuna Bazaar on the banks of the Yamuna river in Delhi have once again lost everything.

Between August 17 and 18, more than 100,000 cusecs of water were discharged from the Hathnikund Barrage upstream on the river in Haryana. The water was released over a span of 12 hours and was this season’s highest discharge so far. 

The water entered the homes of the residents in Yamuna Bazaar, with the result that they had to leave everything behind and take refuge in temporary tents.

These tents have been set up at several locations along the river since August 18 night including Sonia Vihar, near the Inter-State Bus Terminal at Kashmere Gate, on the Geeta Colony flyover, and close to the Delhi-Noida Direct flyover in east Delhi, according to the Hindustan Times.

The flood has subsided, and the river will slowly recede, according to the authorities. But for the residents, there is no heaving any sigh of relief. That is because they know the river could be back next year.