Harshita Mathur, Pune
On July 13, the Delhi Police restricted the entry of commercial heavy goods vehicles, except those carrying basic essential items, as a precautionary step in light of increasing Yamuna levels.
Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot subsequently tweeted, in light of the situation, that the entry of heavy-duty vehicles had been prohibited from the Singhu border, Badarpur border, Loni border, and Chilla border, while interstate buses traveling from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand will have to make a halt at the Singhu border rather than ISBT Kashmere Gate. Nevertheless, trucks and buses carrying food products, petroleum, and other essential goods will be allowed to operate and travel along the route. According to a police advisory, the commercial vehicles will be redirected from Mukarba Chowk because they will not be permitted to travel between Mukarba Chowk and Wazirabad Bridge. Similarly, commercial vehicles would be directed away from Sarai Kale Khan and the Ghazipur border as well, and there would be no commercial vehicles allowed between Sarai Kale Khan and the IP Flyover.
The torrential rains during the months of June and July have wreaked havoc in the national capital, as due to the same, the water levels of the Yamuna River have risen to 207.55 m leading to various traffic problems due to the flood-like situation in several low-lying areas in the region. Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, has shut down almost all government and private schools that are located in the flood-prone area. He has also subsequently requested all the MLAs and volunteers to visit and check on relief camps to see if any assistance is required.
Various videos of water entering local buses, etc., can be seen all over the news and social media as the citizens of Delhi are facing a hard time traveling, which is also resulting in prolonged traffic jams. One of Delhi’s well-known crematoriums, Nigambodh Ghat, has also been closed due to water logging in several areas. As per officials, about 900 people and 600 animals have been rescued, and no casualties have been reported so far.