New Delhi — The recent floods in Delhi, caused by a surging Yamuna River, have left behind a devastating aftermath. Even as the water levels have started to recede, thousands of displaced residents in relief camps now face the arduous task of reclaiming their homes, a process made difficult by the thick layers of silt and mud left behind.
The water level at the Old Railway Bridge dropped to 205.22 meters on Monday, a slight decrease from the 205.33-meter danger mark recorded the previous day. This is a welcome sign for a city that saw the river reach a high of 207.48 meters last Thursday, prompting the evacuation of nearly 10,000 people from low-lying areas. However, for those living in temporary tents on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway and in areas like Yamuna Bazar and Mayur Vihar, the immediate challenge is not the water, but the mess it has left behind.
Vinod, a 47-year-old daily wage laborer from Ghat number 28, has been living in a relief camp with his wife and six children for over a month. He shared his struggle, “There is a lot of mud in our home. We need to remove all of it first and then again leave the house empty for some days to let it dry. Only then can we move back.” His children have been out of school and college for weeks, and their return to education is contingent on their family’s return home.
A similar sentiment was echoed by Neelam Devi (45), from Ghat number 27, who said, “It is hours of tiresome work to clean so much silt. We don’t have money to hire help. Once the mud is out, we still need the house to dry, which depends on the weather.”
The sheer exhaustion and frustration are palpable among the affected residents. Mamata, a 20-year-old woman staying in a relief tent, noted that most adults go to their homes during the day to begin the long and difficult cleaning process.
While the Yamuna’s water level is expected to decline further, the memories of the recent floods—and last year’s historic floods, when the river reached an all-time high of 208.66 meters—are still fresh in the minds of the people. For these residents, the road to recovery is long, and it’s a step-by-step process of clearing mud, drying walls, and hoping to reclaim their lives.