thing of the past…
– Photo: Amar Ujala
Expansion
Due to the increasing water level of Yamuna, there was a strange uneasiness two days ago. The scene of the flood of 1978 was shaking to the core. At that time he had to remain imprisoned in the house for six days. Even food and water was not available. No one could even think of taking a bath. There was relief from these bad memories when the news of receding water was received on Thursday night. In such a situation, after two days, I got a peaceful sleep.
roshan consul When he was saying these things, the fear of the flood of 45 years ago was clearly visible in his eyes. He told that he had to stay imprisoned with the whole family on the first floor of the house in North Delhi’s Adarsh Nagar. He was 15 years old at the time, but his memories were refreshed by the current flood. This story is not only of Roshan, but of people living in dozens of colonies of North and North West Delhi, who had suffered the pain of 1978 floods.
Despite being comparatively safe, the swollen Yamuna was reminding of the dreadful scene of 45 years ago. Especially when on Thursday morning there were reports of cracks in the Burari Pushta. For once, it seemed that like the Shah Alam dam of 1978, the Burari embankment might collapse this time too. In the event of this happening, this time the situation in North and West Delhi would have been extremely dangerous due to the dense population.
Indira reached home by boat
Jagmohan Gotewal, a resident of Model Town, said that due to the 45-year-old flood, the entire family was imprisoned on the first floor for three days. There was three to four feet of water on the ground floor. As the house was a bit bigger, some families from the neighborhood had also come. Our dal factory in Samaspur village was destroyed due to submerging in water. This time when the flood came, the old things remained common in the house, another thing that is remembered is that during that time the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi also came to the house sitting on a boat. He had inquired about the well-being of each and every member.
the village became an island
Narayan Singh Dagar, a resident of Dhansa village told that in 1978 the entire village had become an island. There was no contact anywhere. The worry of water entering the house used to haunt me all the time. Food and drink was available from the army. Although the village is safe from this flood, but for the past one week, the discussion among us elders in the village is only on Yamuna flood.
then and Now
- In 1978, the Iron Bridge of Yamuna, Wazirabad Bridge, ITO Bridge and Okhla Bridge were closed for 48 hours. 30 villages in North Delhi were inundated due to the breach of Shah Alam Dam.
- This time all the bridges except Kalindi were closed. Due to the dam being safe, water did not fill inside this time. Water filled only in the coastal areas of Yamuna.