Karnal, Aug. 18 -- Following incessant rains across the northern region in recent days, the Yamuna's water flow at the Hathnikund barrage in Yamunanagar surged to 1.78 lakh cusecs on Sunday, triggering flood alerts for several districts in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi. The irrigation and water resources department declared a 'medium flood' situation, prompting opening of all 18 floodgates at the barrage. Department officials said that this was the highest water flow recorded during this monsoon season, with the discharge increasing after heavy rainfall in the catchment areas. "Water flow of 70,000 to 1.5 lakh cusecs is categorised as a 'low flood,' while 1.5 lakh to 2.5 lakh cusecs is considered a 'medium flood.' Any flow exceeding 2.5 lakh cusecs is classified as a 'high flood', an official said, adding that each cusec is equivalent to 28.32 litres per second. The water levels began to rise around 7 am on Sunday, reaching the one-lakh-cusec mark by 1 pm, when a 'low flood' was declared, but it touched 1.78 lakh cusecs at 3 pm. Due to the discharge, water is expected to enter low-lying areas in Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat and Sonepat. Officials warned that it will take nearly 48 hours for the water to reach the national capital, where Central Water Commission (CWC) has already issued an alert. In addition to the Yamuna, heavy rainfall in districts bordering Himachal Pradesh also swelled the Som river in Yamunanagar. The river was seen flowing over the Dhanaura village bridge, causing panic among residents and commuters. The water flow reached over 24,000 cusecs, surpassing the danger mark of 10,000 cusecs. Fortunately, the water levels in both the Som and Pathrala rivers began to recede after a few hours. The increase in water levels in various rivers and streams has led to waterlogging in nearby villages. Vyaspur sub-divisional magistrate Jaspal Singh Gill and DSP Vyaspur, Harvindra Singh, visited key areas, including the embankments of Nakti river in Sadhaura and Som river in Vyaspur, to assess the situation. "Due to the rising water levels in rivers and streams, waterlogging has become a major issue in nearby villages. The administration is fully prepared to manage the situation and that floodwater management efforts are in place," said Gill. "Embankments have been built by the irrigation department in several villages, including Ranjitpur, Ranipur, Bhamanoli, Chintpur, Khanuwala, and Malikpur Bangar, situated along the banks of Som and Nakti rivers," he added. The district received heavy rainfall, with Pratap Nagar recording 99mm of rain, followed by 78mm in Jagadhari, 50mm in Chhachrauli, 48mm in Sadhaura, 40mm in Saraswati Nagar, 30mm in Vyaspur, and 13mm in Radaur."The administration is continuously monitoring the situation in sensitive villages like Khanuwala, Chintpur, and Manipur," said Gill. DSP Harvinder Singh said that the police are on alert and have increased surveillance in the area....