New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced that all schools in flood-affected districts would be closed. His announcement, however, came a bit late as students had already left for their schools in the morning.
Prakash Rajput, a resident of civil lines, said his sons, aged 9 and 14, had already gone to school by the time the announcement was made. “The children called me from their teachers’ phone around 10.30 am and asked me to pick them up because the school was flooded,” he said. “The school and its surrounding areas are flooded . Teachers and children are stressed.”
Delhi Parents’ Association president Aprajita Gautam also agreed the announcement should have come earlier because schoolchildren leave between 6 and 7am for their schools. “Many schools are also having exams, so parents would be compelled to send their children to school despite the floods.”
CM’s tweet
The CM has also asked people to avoid the roadways adjoining the Yamuna as rising water level of the river has flooded them. In his tweet, Kejriwal emphasised how important residents' involvement is for the relief attempts saying human life comes first. The Chief Minister also mentioned that certain water treatment facilities had to close down due to rising water levels, and which would cause water shortages in some places.
Kejriwal’s tweet also appealed to community members urging volunteers, councillors, and politicians to join forces and provide support to the relief camps established to assist those displaced by the flooding.
Kejriwal travelled to the Wazirabad water treatment facility, located on the Yamuna River's banks to personally examine the situation. He spoke about the upcoming water shortage during his visit. He promised people that every effort would be made to return things to normal as soon as the Yamuna receded.
The Yamuna’s water level has surpassed a 45-year-old milestone and risen to an unprecedented level. Officials monitoring the river said it was running three metres above the 205.33 metres defined danger level as of Thursday morning.
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