Yamuna declining gradually (Hindu 14 September 2010)

The Yamuna began to recede gradually on Monday, but the relief is temporary as the river is expected to rise again overnight. From 205.39 metres at 5 p.m. on Monday it is expected to reach 205.60 metres on Tuesday morning.
Through out the day the amount of water released from the Hathni Kund barrage in Haryana kept decreasing and to the relief of the administration the level in the Yamuna also began to recede.
“After 1 p.m. today when the discharge was 2,65,994 cusecs, the amount of water has been decreasing, but the forecast that we have indicates that by tomorrow morning the river will again rise to 205.60 metres,” said Ish Kumar, Chief Engineer of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Delhi Government.
Starting at 11 a.m., 2,57,499 cusecs water was released from the Hathni Kund barrage, it came down to 2,65,944 cusecs by 1 p.m., 2,37,000 cusecs by 2 p.m. and by 3 p.m. it was 2,10,681 cusecs.
Experts said variations were a common feature during the monsoon season. “It is possible that during the monsoon months such variations are usual and hence not much should be read into it. On the other hand this could be an indicator for another round of floods too in case any discharge in excess of 3,50,000 takes place again at Hathni Kund,” said Manoj Misra of the non-government organisation Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan.
The administration is now beginning focus attention on the “positive aspects of the flood”. While it has set up relief camps for those affected by the floods in the low-laying areas and pitched tents at safer places, the administration is now looking at the floods as a godsend. “There are villagers who have cut the banks along the Mungeshpur drain to irrigate their fields. This flood has ensured that drains and channels that were running dry for several years now have ample water flowing in them,” said Mr. Kumar.
Citing the example of village Nizampur, he said: “Villages here have given us in writing that they do not want us to removes the pipes that they have attached to the drain by cutting the banks. They want to use the water for irrigation and they said this water has come as a boon for them and agriculture.”
Mr. Kumar said the excess water has cleaned the Yamuna and will help recharge the ground water levels of the city that were plunging due to rampant use. “There is inconvenience being caused by the floods, but in the long run they will overall benefit the city.”
The river has crossed the danger mark of 204.83 metres twice within a month. The first time was on August 22 when 3,40,000 cusecs of water was discharged into the river at the Hathni Kund barrage and on September 8 when 6,07,000 cusecs was discharged into the river following incessant rains in its catchment areas in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
· All through the day the amount of water released from the Hathni Kund barrage kept decreasing
· ‘Excess water has cleaned the Yamuna and will recharge the ground water levels of the city'