Noida: With the Yamuna in spate, the Noida and Ghaziabad administrations have set up 19 flood posts with round-the-clock monitoring systems and rapid-response teams on alert in case of floods.At 4pm on Aug 14, the upstream gauge at Okhla had crossed the 200.6-metre danger level to settle at 201.35 metres, with the downstream levels at 196.1 metres. The barrage was releasing 21,775 cusecs of water.Officials said the situation was being continuously monitored and there was no immediate indication of flooding. The irrigation department reported that damage to the Yamuna and Hindon embankments had recently been repaired. The district administration has established 19 flood posts, of which two have been set up by the irrigation department at Yakutpur and Kamnagar, and the rest at other vulnerable locations, district magistrate Medha Roopam said. “Seven rural flood committees have also been constituted to coordinate emergency response at the local level,” she said.At a preparedness meeting on Thursday, officials from the irrigation and health departments as well as police were directed to ensure that manpower, rescue equipment and relief material are at their disposal in vulnerable areas well before an emergency situation arises.
Hindon in spate in Noida Sector 63
“Stocks of split stones, soil-filled cement bags, bamboo poles and other emergency material have been kept at vulnerable locations for use if required. Flood control rooms at Okhla Barrage and the irrigation construction division office in Ghaziabad are operating round the clock. Officials have been assigned shifts to monitor river gauges and communicate any sudden rise in water levels to the administration,” an official said.Officials said that Hindon was also being monitored closely. At Hindon Barrage in Ghaziabad, the upstream level was recorded at 200.90 metres, short of the danger level of 205.08 metres. No rainfall was recorded at the gauge stations at 6am on Friday.Ghaziabad irrigation officials said preparations had also been stepped up on their side. “We have also taken extensive measures to mitigate the impact of any possible flooding. Flood posts have been prepared and personnel and essential resources are being kept ready so that if water levels rise suddenly, the response can begin immediately. Our focus is on constant surveillance, quick communication and ensuring that no vulnerable settlement is left unattended,” said official Raj Kumar.Advance preparedness is critical, particularly given the possibility of heavy monsoon rainfall and fluctuations in discharge upstream, he added.
