The Central Water Commission issued a dire warning on Friday, reporting severe flooding at 22 river monitoring stations across India, with an additional 23 stations recording water levels above normal. The crisis spans multiple states, putting millions at risk.

In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, eight stations in each state are grappling with severe flood conditions, while Gujarat, Delhi, Jharkhand, Odisha, Rajasthan, and West Bengal each report one station in critical condition. Another 23 stations in Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal are seeing above-normal water levels, signaling widespread danger.

The Commission has issued inflow forecasts for 46 dams and barrages, including 12 in Karnataka, six in Telangana, and five in Andhra Pradesh, alongside others in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Uttarakhand. Authorities have been urged to strictly regulate dam operations to prevent catastrophic downstream flooding.

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Delhi’s Yamuna River at the Old Railway Bridge remains in a severe flood state but is showing a declining trend, expected to drop to 207.15 meters by Friday night. In Gujarat, rivers like the Narmada, Tapi, Damanganga, and Sabarmati are expected to maintain heavy flows for the next few days, with high alerts issued for Bharuch, Surat, Vadodara, Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, and Rajkot.

Rajasthan faces rising waters in the Mahi, Sabarmati, Chambal, and Banas rivers, with severe flood warnings issued for Pratapgarh, Banswara, Udaipur, Kota, Bundi, and Jhalawar. Maharashtra is preparing for intense rainfall in Dhule, Nandurbar, Palghar, Thane, and Pune, which could push the Tapi, Vaitarna, Bhima, and Koyna rivers to dangerous levels.

Uttar Pradesh remains in a critical state, with the Ganga, Yamuna, Ramganga, and Ghagra rivers exceeding danger levels in Mathura, Ballia, Shahjahanpur, Barabanki, Farrukhabad, and Fatehpur. Bihar is equally hard-hit, with the Ganga, Kosi, Gandak, and Ghagra rivers maintaining severe flood levels in Patna, Bhagalpur, Siwan, and Khagaria.

The advisory also warns of flash flood risks in Gujarat, western Madhya Pradesh, eastern Rajasthan, and parts of Maharashtra over the next 24 hours, urging heightened vigilance. The Commission emphasized cautious reservoir management in the Krishna, Godavari, Narmada, Mahanadi, and Cauvery basins, as many major dams are nearing full capacity, heightening the risk of downstream flooding if not carefully managed.

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