Three teenagers drown in inundated ditch in Delhi’s Mukundpur

New Delhi [India]: Three teenage boys drowned in a ditch, filled with water amid severe waterlogging in the national capital, police said on Friday.

As per Delhi Police, the victims, aged between 12 and 15 years old, drowned in a ditch in the Mukundpur area. “They were pulled out and rushed to a nearby hospital, where all three were declared dead,” police said.

The city is witnessing a flood-like situation, with several areas inundated as the Yamuna river breached the danger mark following incessant rainfall, the highest recorded in the last 45 years.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday predicted that Delhi will likely receive light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms for the next 4-5 days.

Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Atishi on Friday said that the water level of Yamuna river is receding gradually at a rate of 0.1 metres and that it will take a day’s time for the situation to return to normal.

“Good news is that the water level is not rising, it was stable from 1pm-7pm yesterday and it is receding very gradually now. But it is receding at a rate of 0.1 metre so it will take a day’s time for the water to recede.

Water is entering areas because all drains are full and it is backflow that is flooding the areas. Pumping out is not possible now because the water will have to go to the Yamuna itself, and its water level is already high…This difficulty is not due to a person or situation but due to incessant heavy rainfall in north India. The good thing is that the water is receding slowly,” she said.

On Friday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the Delhi government is taking all measures to ensure that there are no barriers to the exit of water entering the capital.