Yamuna Flood 2025: Is River Carrying Capacity, Pattern Changing?

October 22, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Sept. 06, satellite image showing Yamuna flood spread downstream Delhi. Credit: Raj Bhagat P)

During South West Monsoon 2025, the Yamuna has witnessed one low, one medium and one high flood spells in its upper segment. On account of good rainfall in the catchment, the river also received significant flows for about one and half month from last week of July 2025 upto first week of Sept 2025. Due to this flood spells and flows the water quality in Delhi stretch of the river improved significantly, though temporarily.

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floodplains · Floods · River Restoration · Yamuna River

Yamuna Floodplain: Will DDA Review Riverfront Projects or Continue Ad-hoc Experiments?

September 19, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Entrance of flooded Asita East project site on Sept. 05, 2025. Credit: Surendar Solanki)

First the July 2023 and now the September 2025 flood spells in Yamuna has inundated and affected several of DDA’s beautification projects being developed on the Yamuna floodplain over past 8 years. These projects were earlier labelled as part of floodplain rejuvenation but now are being termed as riverfront projects. The violations of norms, ambiguity in progress, potential detrimental impacts on floodplain eco-system, vulnerability to flood damages make it necessary that DDA critically review the projects at this stage rather than continue to waste public money and damage to floodplain in an ad-hoc manner. A photo blog showing impact inf Sept. 2025 floods on these projects can be seen here.

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floodplains · Floods · Urban Flood · Urban Rivers · Yamuna River

Yamuna Photo Blog Sept 2025: ‘Riverfront’ Projects submerged Again

September 18, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Entrace of Asita West projects flooded with Yamuna water on Sept. 05. 2025. Credit: Surendar Solanki)

Through pictures and satellite imagery, this blog documents the impact of Sept. 2025 Yamuna flood on Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) riverfront projects. These 10 projects are being developed over the past 8 years in river floodplain and had also suffered damages during July 2023 floods. Earlier they were called part of floodplain rejuvenation but now being termed as Yamuna riverfront projects. DDA website has only shown name, size and location of riverfront projects, however has maintained secrecy on important factors of cost, progress, delays, damage and losses concerning these projects.

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Disasters · floodplains · Floods · Yamuna River

Sept 2025: Why did Yamuna Repeat July 2023 Like Flood Spell in Delhi?

September 9, 2025September 15, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: NDRF team gazing at flooded relief camps at Yamuna bazar, Delhi)

In first week of September 2025, Yamuna river in Delhi has again witnessed another unusual flood spell. This is happening two years after the river recorded unprecedent flood event in July 2023. This report compares the July 2023 flood with the one in Sept 2025 underlining the probable factors making these deluges uncommon and man-made flood disaster.

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floodplains · Floods · Yamuna River

Letter: Encroachment of Yamuna floodplain near Wazirabad Barrage

July 19, 2025July 19, 2025 SANDRP1 Comment

To, July 17, 2025

1 Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena

Honorable LG, Delhi Civil Lines,

New Delhi-110054

pstolg.delhi@nic.in

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Environmental Flow · floodplains · Floods · River Pollution · Yamuna River

Yamuna Manthan July 2025: Is Delhi Ready for July 2023 like Yamuna Floods?

July 11, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: EOS-RS Flood Proxy Map: New Delhi, Floods, 12 July 2023,v0.4)

July 13 will mark two years since the Yamuna river stretch in national capital witnessed unprecedented flood spell. The river not just submerged every part of existing available floodplain by several feet but also spilled over to reclaim its lost channels. The unusual flood also breached historic 1978 flood level at Delhi railway bridge by a huge margin, setting new benchmark.

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floodplains · Free flowing rivers · River Restoration · Yamuna River

Yamuna Manthan June 2025: Positive water, river stories from Yamuna basin

June 19, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

POSITIVE YAMUNA REPORTS

Uttar Pradesh’s Noon river runs again Jalaun farmers in Bundelkhand will not have to toil too much this season to get water for crops. They have almost revived an 81km-long local river that had dried up completely. Community members have restored the drainage basin over a 14km course of Noon river to create a funnel through which water has again entered it. The river had dried up to encroachments and poor rainfall. The revival commenced in 2021 and reached the final stage only recently, with voluntary labour contributions from thousands of local men and women. Officials said the water would start flowing through the entire course of the river in a fortnight. The river is expected to help more than 15,350 farmers.

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Dams · floodplains · Floods

Broken Bandhans and mounds of muck: Consequences of unplanned Dredging in Vashishti River

December 13, 2022December 14, 2022 SANDRPLeave a comment

In the leaning golden sun, 65 year old Hari Ganpat Nikam dived like dolphin under a wooden contraption in the Vashishti River. He emerged a whole minute later bearing a beautiful woven basket, his right hand placed firmly on its mouth. As he brought the basket closer, he gradually removed his hand. Inside, tens of small fish and crabs shimmered in the evening light.

Tonight’s fish curry was sorted.

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floodplains · Rivers

Please keep your tree Plantations away from River Floodplains

November 7, 2020 SANDRP1 Comment

Guest Blog by: Manoj Misra

River Floodplains are not vacant wastelands awaiting tree plantations. They are extensions of a flowing river with key roles for keeping it healthy.

‘Afforestation’ has been cited as one of the key components of the ongoing Rs 20,000 Crores ‘Namami Gange’ program launched with much fanfare by the Modi government for the rejuvenation of river Ganga. Forestry interventions for Ganga rejuvenation are reportedly underway in accordance with a Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by the Dehradun based Forest Research Institute (FRI)[i].

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