New Delhi | September 3, 2025

Life in Delhi came to a standstill on Wednesday as the Yamuna river swelled beyond danger levels, submerging streets, markets, and homes in several low-lying areas. By 1 pm, the river was flowing at 207 metres, forcing authorities to evacuate thousands of residents, shut down the Old Railway Bridge, and set up temporary relief shelters.

The scenes across the capital were grim. At Majnu ka Tila, one of the city’s busiest markets, lanes were waterlogged, leaving shops deserted. Shopkeeper Anup Thapa said he had to evacuate his store late at night. “We shifted most of our goods, but some still got spoiled. Even after the water goes, we’ll have to repair the shop, which will cost us,” he explained. Thapa, his wife, and their three-year-old daughter are now staying in a roadside camp. He recalled facing a similar ordeal during the 2023 floods and urged authorities to improve drainage and safety in the area, pointing to dangerously low-hanging electric wires above the water.

In Madanpur Khadar, families who lost their jhuggis (makeshift homes) were seen living under plastic sheets tied along the roadside. “All our belongings are inside. We could barely take out a few things. Women are facing a lot of problems as there are no toilets,” said Tayara, one of the residents. With little access to food or cooking facilities, many families were surviving on biscuits and buns.

The situation was no different in Badarpur, where floodwaters rose so high that only the roofs of houses were visible. Residents carried essentials on their heads as they waded through waist-deep waters. Asif, a resident, lamented, “I built this house with years of hard work to live with my wife and children, and now it is underwater. Where should we go? There are still people stuck inside.”

At Yamuna Bazaar, the flood made it look as if shops and houses were standing in the middle of the river. Rohit Kumar, a shopkeeper, said, “The month has just started, and our earnings are already gone. We still have to pay rent and resettle everything once the water reduces.” Similarly, Sachin Yadav, a trader at Monastery Market, said his family’s only source of income had been cut off since the shop was shut down. “It will take days for the water to recede, and till then we have no income,” he said.

Images from across the city showed families being ferried on boats, stray dogs perched on staircases of abandoned homes, and children sitting in roadside tents with salvaged belongings. Cars, motorcycles, and furniture were submerged, leaving residents watching helplessly as years of hard work vanished beneath the murky waters.

Authorities said relief work is underway, but the bigger challenge lies ahead—once the river recedes, thousands of displaced families will be left to rebuild their homes and livelihoods from scratch. For now, Delhi remains on edge, waiting for the Yamuna’s fury to calm down.