Delhi: Govt, private schools closed in waterlogged areas

New Delhi [India] : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday announced that all government and private schools were being closed in areas where people were grappling with extensive flooding and waterlogging.

“All government and private schools are being closed in the areas of Delhi where water is filling up,” CM Kejriwal shared in a tweet. In a later tweet, the chief minister urged all councillors and MLAs to visit relief camps and provide all possible support.”I appeal to all volunteers, councillors, MLAs and all other people to visit relief camps and provide all possible support,” he said.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s Directorate of Education, too, ordered all government and private schools to close immediately where there is a danger of flood, without waiting for orders.
“In view of the flood situation in Delhi, the Directorate of Education, Government of Delhi has ordered all government and private schools in low-lying areas to close immediately without waiting for orders where there is a danger of flood,” read a statement from the Directorate of Education.

Earlier, on Thursday, the CM urged people in the national capital to look out for each other and extend all necessary assistance amid the floods caused by the rising waters of the Yamuna. “The water level of Yamuna is increasing continuously. Now the water has reached 208.46 metres. Due to the rising water level, the Yamuna has come on the roads around it. You are requested not to go on these routes. People are being evacuated from the populated areas where there is water. The people living there are requested to cooperate with the administration. Saving the lives of people is most important. There is an appeal to all the people of Delhi to cooperate with each other in every possible way in this emergency”, CM Kejriwal shared in a tweet.

Several areas of the city are under water as the water level of river Yamuna continues to rise following heavy rainfall and the release of water from the Hathnikund Barrage in neighbouring Haryana.

Due to the rise in the water level of Yamuna and the resultant inundation of low-lying areas, traffic movement has been impaired in several places. The North East district police have informed that more than 1000 people and around 999 cattle have been rescued from different areas near Yamuna amid the flood situation. The rescue was carried out in Usmanpur, Shastri Park, and Sonia Vihar police station areas.

Further, according to official inputs, the movement of commercial vehicles will be regulated as non-destined commercial vehicles won’t be allowed to enter Delhi and will be diverted to the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways. Commercial vehicles will be diverted from Mukarba Chowk, Sarai Kale Khan, Ghazipur border, and from Akshardham towards DND.

The officials further said no commercial vehicles will be allowed between Mukarba Chowk and Wazirabad Bridge, Sarai Kale Khan and IP Flyover, and Akshardham and Sarai Kale Khan.