Delhi flood update: 33 students evacuated from ITO; ISBT, Bhairon Marg open for traffic

The Delhi Fire Services on Saturday evacuated 33 students stranded at an institute at ITO in central Delhi after floodwaters entered its premises.

According to the fire department, they received a call at 11.20 am and rushed to rescue the students at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA). Using fire tenders, the DFS staff rescued 33 trainees of the Indian Statistical Service who were stuck at IIPA and shifted them to a safer location, the officials said, as per PTI.

Meanwhile, several roads in the national capital which were shut for traffic movement were opened on Saturday. Delhi minister Atishi on Saturday said the Public Works Department (PWD) has started pumping out water, cleaning roads and opening them up for traffic movement in view of a fall in the Yamuna water level. In a tweet, she said ISBT and Bhairon Marg are open for traffic now.

"As water levels in Yamuna have started receding, PWD has started pumping out the water, cleaning the roads and opening them out for traffic. ISBT and Bhairon Marg are open for traffic now. ISBT and Bhairon Marg are open for traffic now," the tweet read.

"PWD is working on a war footing to ensure that roads and traffic return to normalcy as soon as possible."

The swollen Yamuna on Saturday morning followed a downward trend, albeit at a slow pace of a few centimetres per hour. According to an advisory issued by the traffic police on Saturday, Yamuna's water level dropped to 207.67 metres at 8 am on Saturday, reducing the water level on roads.

However, it was still flowing more than two metres above the danger mark of 205.33 metres.

Delhi Metro trains are now crossing the four Yamuna bridges at normal speed amid a fall in the water level of the Yamuna on Saturday, the transporter said. Metro trains had been crossing the four Yamuna bridges at a restricted speed of 30 kmph as a precautionary measure due to the level of the river.

"Speed restriction imposed while crossing Metro bridges over Yamuna has been removed. All trains are running at normal speed now," the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said in a tweet.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Saturday, said the water level of the Yamuna in the national capital is decreasing gradually and the situation will normalise soon if there is no more heavy rainfall. Several parts of Delhi are still inundated after the Yamuna in the city breached its banks earlier this week.

"The water level in Yamuna is decreasing gradually. If there is no heavy rain again, the situation will become normal soon," he tweeted in Hindi.

The weather department issued a 'yellow' alert for rains in the national capital on Saturday. A 'yellow' alert indicates bad weather conditions which might change for the worse, disrupting daily activities. The regional meteorological centre has predicted a generally cloudy sky with light to moderate rainfall for the next 4-5 days in Delhi.

Also Read: Delhi floods: 'Danger not over yet', says CM Arvind Kejriwal as Yamuna recedes gradually