New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced closure of schools in areas inundated with flood water, amid rising water level in River Yamuna on Thursday. "All government and private schools are being closed in areas of Delhi where water is filling up," Kejriwal wrote in a tweet.
DOE issues circular-The Directorate of Education (DoE) issued a circular directing closure of all government and private schools in low lying areas. As waters of river Yamuna crossed the danger mark, the heads of all the Government and Private Schools in affected areas are hereby ordered to take adequate measures to ensure safety of the students. All schools in low lying areas where there is an imminent danger of flooding must be closed with immediate effect without waiting for any further orders, the circular said.
The DoE has also directed the zonal and district authorities to remain in touch with the schools and provide support. Areas like East, North East, North, South East and Central districts have been affected and all schools in these districts must be closed with immediate effect without waiting for any further orders, the circular added.
The torrential Yamuna in Delhi swelled to a staggering 208.48 metres Thursday morning, inundating nearby streets and public and private infrastructure, and causing immense hardships to people living in close proximity to the river.
The water level at the Old Railway Bridge crossed the 208-metre mark Wednesday night and rose to 208.48 metres by 8 am on Thursday. It is expected to rise further, according to the Central Water Commission, which has termed it an "extreme situation".
With the situation deteriorating every passing hour, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged the Centre to intervene and the city police imposed Section 144 of the CrPC in flood-prone areas to prevent unlawful assembly of four or more people and public movement in groups.
Lt Governor V K Saxena has also called a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Thursday. In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Kejriwal requested that the water from Hathnikund barrage in Haryana be released slowly and pointed out that Delhi is set to host the G20 Summit meeting in a few weeks. "The news of flooding in the capital of the country will not send a good message to the world. Together we will have to save the people of Delhi from this situation," he said. (with PTI inputs)
