New Delhi: Several roads in the national capital which were shut for traffic movement were opened on Saturday as the Yamuna floodwaters receded from the roads even as Aam Aadmi Party alleged that the deluge was triggered by a conspiracy by the Centre and Haryana government. BJP in turn accused AAP of inaction and corruption, which, the saffron party, said led to the floods in Delhi.
Heavy rains, however, again lashed several areas of the national capital on Saturday, causing waterlogging and traffic congestion in the city. The rain brought the mercury in the city down a notch to 34.6 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department said. The minimum temperature had settled at 27 degrees Celsius.
For Sunday, the weather office has predicted generally cloudy skies with light to moderate rain and thundershowers. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 34 and 26 degrees Celsius, respectively. Saturday's rain may lead to a rise in the water level in the Yamuna, which has been flowing above the danger mark of 205.33 metres for days.
Meanwhile, Delhi Cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the floods in the city were caused because the BJP-led Centre and Haryana government wilfully released water towards the national capital. Addressing a press conference here, Bharadwaj said it has not rained in Delhi in the last 3-4 days, yet still, the water level in Yamuna reached 208.66 metres.
"The water from Hathnikund Barrage is released from three canals -- Western Canal, Eastern Canal and Yamuna. As part of a conspiracy, between July 9 and 13, water was released from Yamuna canal only towards Delhi. There was no water released through the Western and Eastern Canal," he claimed.
Similar charges were made by him and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday, even as the city government butted heads with Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena over a broken regulator that allegedly caused inundation on the Vikas Marg.
BJP, meanwhile, alleged that the inaction and corruption of the AAP government was responsible for the flood in Delhi and asked Chief Minister Kejriwal to apologise to the people for "failing" to handle the situation. Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia and party MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma alleged that the flood was caused by lack of desilting of the Yamuna in the last eight years of the Kejriwal government.
"The AAP and Kejriwal are big on making excuses, corruption and inaction. Just like they blamed the Centre and other states during the COVID-19 pandemic and for pollution, they were now accusing Haryana for flood in Delhi," Bhatia said. He said while the Centre, army, NDRF, Delhi LG and other agencies were working hard to provide relief to the people, the AAP leader and ministers of the Kejriwal government were alleging there was a "conspiracy" to flood the city.
Verma claimed that in a meeting on May 23 this year, it was decided how much water will be released into the Yamuna during monsoon, and the AAP government in Delhi knew it. Bhatia asked the Kejriwal government how much it spent on desilting of Yamuna from Rs 6,800 crore that was given to it for cleaning of the river.
He also alleged that the AAP government failed to put in place a proper drainage system and ensure timely desilting of drains in Delhi that led to widespread flooding and waterlogging in the city. "In 2013 and 2019, 8 lakh cusecs water was released from Hathinikund barrage into the Yamuna. This year, only 3.5 lakh cusecs discharge caused flooding in Delhi. This because Kejriwal's priority is not work but to make excuses," Bhatia charged.
Several roads in the national capital which were shut for traffic movement were opened on Saturday as the floodwaters receded. However, traffic regulations are still in effect on some key road stretches. According to an advisory issued by the traffic police on Saturday, Yamuna's water level dropped to 207.67 metres at 8 am on Saturday, reducing the water level on roads.
As of 11 am, restrictions for traffic movement were relaxed on some roads, while a few roads remained shut, it said. Boulevard Road - slip road - service road - left turn under Yudhishthira Setu - Ring Road, Chandgi Ram Akhara to Mukarba Chowk Carriageway and Chandgi Ram Akhara to IP College both Carriageways have been opened for the traffic movement, the advisory stated.
Also read: Don't take selfies or swim in flooded areas, flood threat not over yet: Kejriwal to Delhiites
Bhairon Marg from Mathura Road to Ring Road carriageway, Vikas Marg from ITO to Laxmi Nagar both carriageways, Nishad Raj Marg from Shanti Van to Geeta Colony both carriageways have also been opened, the advisory added. The road stretches that still remain shut for movement, include Ring Road - Majnu Ka Tilla ISBT - Shanti Van - IP flyover to IP Depot both carriageways, Ring Road - IP Depot to IP flyover to ISBT carriageway, Salim Garh bypass, old iron bridge Pusta to Shamshan Ghat, Outer Ring Road - Mukarba Chowk to Wazirabad carriageway and Ring Road from Shanti Van to Rajghat and towards ISBT. The Kashmere Gate ISBT remains closed, the police said.
The entry of heavy goods vehicles has been banned from Singhu Border, Tikri Border, Rajokari Border, Badarpur Border, Chilla Border, Gazipur Border, Loni Border, Apsara Border and Bhopura Border. However, there are no restrictions on vehicles carrying essential commodities or services and relief materials. Commuters are advised to postpone travel plans to low-lying areas in view of a high alert issued by the administration and the roads which are closed should be avoided in case of any unavoidable journey, the advisory added.
In a tweet, the police said that the traffic movement at Pragati Maidan Tunnel is normal. In another tweet, it stated that the road from Shantivan to Geeta Colony both carriageways has been opened only for cars, autos and light vehicles. Several roads were shut after the Yamuna river swelled to an all-time high of 208.6 metres on Thursday, inundating nearby streets and public and private infrastructure, and causing immense hardships to people living in close proximity to the river.
Delhi minister Atishi on Saturday said the Public Works Department (PWD) has started pumping out water, cleaning roads and opening them up for traffic movement in view of a fall in the Yamuna water level. The PWD minister also said that the Kashmiri Gate ISBT and Bhairon Marg have been opened for vehicular traffic.
"As water levels in Yamuna have started receding, PWD has started pumping out the water, cleaning the roads and opening them up for traffic. ISBT and Bhairon Marg are open for traffic now," Atishi tweeted. She also said the PWD was working on war footing to ensure that roads and traffic return to normalcy as soon as possible.
Also read: First jammed gate of ITO Barrage opened, water level in Yamuna decreasing: Arvind Kejriwal
