Chandigarh, Aug 18 (IANS): Due to heavy rains in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, authorities in Haryana's Hathnikund barrage on Sunday said the water level in the Yamuna river has increased, posing a flood threat to New Delhi.

Water levels at the barrage rose to nearly 6 lakh cusecs, promoting authorities to issue an alert in low-lying areas of the state, an official said.

According to the official, the water level up to 70,000 cusecs in the barrage is considered normal, while above 2.5 lakh cusecs is considered high floods.

As the water level started rising on Sunday morning, authorities opened all gates of the Hathnikund Barrage, allowing the river water to flow downstream.

The Yamuna river passes through Yamunanagar, Karnal and Panipat districts in Haryana before entering New Delhi.

In the national capital, the water level in the Yamuna crossed the danger level, a Flood Control department official said.

The official said villages along the river have been alerted about the release of the excess water. The government has already begun evacuating people from low-lying areas.

The Met has predicted that Haryana's neighbouring hill states would continue to experience heavy rains till Monday.

The water from the Hathnikund barrage normally takes 72 hours to reach the capital.