Delhi: Govt bans entry of heavy goods vehicles as Yamuna swells

Inspecting the Wazirabad treatment plant, Kejriwal said all arrangements are being made to provide relief to the people. Pic/PTI

The Delhi government has banned the entry of heavy goods vehicles, barring those carrying essentials, in the city from four borders including Singhu as a precautionary measure in view of the rising Yamuna levels, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said on Thursday.

Sharing a copy of the order issued by the Transport Department on Twitter, he said. "Entry of Heavy Goods Vehicles has been banned from Singhu Border, Badarpur Border, Loni Border and Chilla Border as a precautionary measure in view of abnormally rising water level of Yamuna River."

"On the other hand, interstate buses coming from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand will stop at Singhu border instead of going to ISBT Kashmeri Gate," Gahlot said in a tweet in Hindi.

There is no restriction on vehicles carrying essential services such as food and petroleum products, he added.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said water supply may be affected in parts of the city with the shutting down of treatment plants at Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla following rising levels of the Yamuna.

The Yamuna 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.

Inspecting the Wazirabad treatment plant, Kejriwal said all arrangements are being made to provide relief to the people.

"Due to increase in the Yamuna water level, many water treatment plants had to be closed. I personally visited the Wazirabad plant on the banks of the Yamuna. We will start it as soon as the situation returns to normalcy," he tweeted.

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".

"The water treatment plants at Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla are being shut due to rising Yamuna water level. Due to this, there will be a problem of water supply in some areas. These plants will start functioning as soon as the Yamuna water recedes," he earlier said in a tweet in Hindi.

(With inputs from PTI)