The water level of the Yamuna River at Hathnikund Barrage in Yamunanagar district reached 50,640 cusecs at 10 am on Friday, marking the highest recorded level so far this monsoon season. This surge followed heavy rainfall in the river's catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand over the past 24 hours.
Rapid Rise and Fall of Water Level
According to officials of the Irrigation and Water Resources Department, the water level rose sharply from 39,539 cusecs at 9 am to 50,640 cusecs an hour later, before receding to 45,295 cusecs by 11 am. The water level continued to decline through the evening. Despite the spike, officials confirmed that the river remains below the mini-flood level, and there is no immediate threat of flooding.
Impact on Seasonal Rivers and Agriculture
Continuous rainfall also caused the seasonal Somb (Som) River to swell after heavy showers in the Shivalik hills. Farmers in villages near the river expressed concern that the rising water could damage their standing paddy, sugarcane, and fodder crops. Farmers from Malikpur Bangar village, including Naresh Kumar Garg, Sat Ram Sharma, Nathi Ram Dhiman, and Sandeep Kumar Sharma, along with former sarpanch Raj Kumar Rana, reported that about 300 acres of agricultural land had been submerged over the past two days due to floodwater from the Somb River.
Recurring Crop Damage and Demands for Action
Rana and Garg stated that floodwater from the Somb River damages crops in the village every year. They urged the district administration to complete a project initiated last year, which involves laying a pipeline and constructing a chamber to drain water from the fields using an electric motor. Rana emphasized, “This project should be completed soon and made operational as early as possible to save crops of farmers.”
Separate Incident: Fatal Car Accident
In a separate incident, two people were reportedly killed and another injured after their car plunged into the Yamuna River on Thursday night due to erosion near Pobari village in Uttar Pradesh, close to the Yamunanagar district border. Local residents and Uttar Pradesh administration officials reached the spot after receiving information about the accident and recovered the vehicle with the help of an earth-moving machine.
