Delhi Flood Alert: Rail Traffic Restored on Loha Pul After Water Level in Yamuna Found Safe For Train Passage

New Delhi, July 30: Loha Pul, also known as old Yamuna bridge has been opened for rail traffic after the water level in Yamuna was found to be safe for passage of trains. Northern Railway CPRO Nitin Chowdhary said on Monday, "Rail traffic on old Yamuna bridge has been restored as the water level of Yamuna is safe enough for the passing of trains. Railway engineers are continuously monitoring the site and bridge health."

Loha Pul was shut for both road and rail traffic on Sunday evening after water level in Yamuna rose to 205.53 metre, crossing the danger mark of 204.83 metre. Due to the shutdown, 27 trains were cancelled while 7 were affected on Monday morning.

“There is impending danger of floods due to this unprecedented rise in water level resulting in inundation of low-lying areas in the Yamuna bed and may also lead to loss of life and property,” the order issued by the District Disaster Management Authority said. “The traffic movement on the bridge is, hereby directed to be closed with immediate effect,” it said.

The Delhi government has set up a flood control room and a round-the-clock emergency operation centre to monitor the river situation, officials said.

Meanwhile, according to reports, families residing near the Loha Pul were evacuated as water level rose in the Yamuna.  Residents said that they were forced to stay on roads due to lack of shelters.

"Everything is visible here for people to see. We have not been provided with any kind of support from the government since we left our houses due to the overflow of water in Yamuna river. We are now forced to live on the streets. I was staying near the bridge," one of the members of the families told ANI.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 30, 2018 12:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).