Delhi water chaos: Naval team to open gates of Yamuna, AAP-BJP standoff continues

Many key areas including ITO road, Akshardham, Kashmere Gate, Mayur Vihar and Red Fort surroundings witnessed continued inundation, indicating no relief to Delhi residents from the flood water woes. The AAP and the BJP continued their heated exchanges over why flood water was diverted to Delhi alone while giving a relief to the neighbouring Haryana and Uttar Pradesh where the BJP was in power.

New Delhi : Arterial roads and thoroughfares in Delhi and surrounding areas remained water-logged as the River Yamuna continues to overflow due to fresh rains in the national capital. Meanwhile, flood politics erupted with the ruling AAP government in Delhi continuing to hold the BJP-led Centre and the Haryana State government responsible for unending flood water woes of Delhi.

Some areas are limping back to near normalcy with bikes and four-wheelers starting to run along the divider edges even on the heavily water-logged ITO road in Delhi. On the other hand, a diving team of the Indian Naval wing began efforts to open the flood gates of Yamuna Barrage near ITO road. There is just a slight relief for the residents as Yamuna water level started receding at a snail's pace.

Yamuna water level was recorded at 205.95 metres today at 10 am as against 206.02 metres at 8 am, officials said. In view of the overflowing Yamuna, several areas in Gautam Buddh Nagar, part of Delhi NCR, remained inundated. Even the Ring Road area showed no let-up in water-logging and continuing hurdles for residents. The Akshardham, Kashmere Gate, Mayur Vihar, Red Fort and other areas witnessed inundation.

The continuing uncertainty in the flood-life situation in Delhi triggered a no-holds-barred slanging match between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party Ministers and the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders. Delhi Revenue Minister Atishi took at a dig at critics, asking why not a single drop of water was diverted to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh though the water level was crossing the danger mark in Delhi.

Atishi asked whether this was a conspiracy against the people of Delhi and water was not diverted to Haryana and UP because the BJP was in power in those States. She pointed out that water from Hathnikund barrage flows to three places - Delhi, Haryana and UP.

On the other hand, BJP national spokesperson RP Singh on Sunday accused the ruling AAP in Delhi of trying to hide its failure in dealing with the water woes. He demanded that the AAP come clean on the Yamuna cleaning project instead of pointing fingers at the BJP over the prevailing flood chaos in the national capital.