At the Mercy of Yamuna

Don't want tents but pucca houses, say residents seeking shelter

- Prabhat Shukla and Nitin Rawat @ New Delhi

The Yamuna River, which swelled past the danger mark on Tuesday morning after an overnight rise in water levels, forced thousands of residents living along its floodplains to flee their homes and seek temporary shelter.

Families in Yamuna Bazaar, Mayur Vihar, and Geeta Colony were among the worst affected, with inadequate relief arrangements leaving many to spend nights under flyovers or on building terraces.

At Yamuna Bazaar, where nearly 300 families live along the riverbank, water entered homes by dawn. Residents scrambled to move their belongings to rooftops, while some shifted in with relatives in other parts of the city.

Authorities set up around a dozen tents in the area, but residents said the number fell far short of the requirement.

Sitting in one such camp, Anup Kumar described the uncertainty. "I am not sure how we will sleep tonight, but we will have to make do with what we can. At least the government is providing this much," he said, watching laborers pile sandbags to stem the advancing water.