A threat of vector-borne diseases hovers above the people sheltered in relief camps here, even as water from the Yamuna River inundated the posh Civil Lines area on Thursday.

On the rise for days, the Yamuna on Thursday showed signs of receding.

The water level in the river at Old Railway Bridge reached 207.48 metres, the highest this season, and after remaining static for some time, has slowly started receding.

It reached a level of 207.42 metres by 7 pm.

A flood forecast said that the water level will fall to 207.30 metres by 8 am on Friday.

In Mayur Vihar Phase I and Yamuna Bazar, floodwater entered relief tents, compounding the misery of evacuees already displaced from submerged homes.

In northeast Delhi, a few people, pets, and a cow were found stranded at Third Pusta, Usmanpur.

While the NDRF declined to carry out the rescue, staff from the DDMA and Boat Club safely evacuated all of them. Cows were being shifted to safer locations from a gaushala near the Iron Bridge.

The situation remained stable and under control in the North, South East and Shahdara districts, they said.

In central Delhi, four people -- all aged above 80 -- along with a dog and a cat, were rescued from 9 Upper Bela Road by DDMA and Boat Club.

In the posh Civil Lines area, which has residences of the Delhi Lt Governor, chief minister and many cabinet ministers, streets turned into streams as murky water submerged homes.

Locals alleged that this was the story every time Yamuna flowed above the danger mark of 205.33 metres and blamed the authorities for a lack of preparedness.

Flooding in Majnu Ka Tila and Monastery Market depicted the real fury unleashed by the Yamuna after it breached the danger level of 205.33 metres.

The damage at Majnu Ka Tila has cut through every kind of business, from restaurants whose owners now sleep in their offices, to tattoo parlours with ruined machines, salons and home spas left without working equipment, and garment shops that remain locked as water stagnates outside.

The Chandgi Ram Akhada near Civil Lines was also flooded, prompting the Delhi Traffic Police to order motorists to take alternate routes. Officials attributed the inundation to the poor seepage conditions in the area.

"It is taking more than usual time to clear out this water as the outlet to the Yamuna is closed," claimed a PWD official.

All the same, in some places, people collected the floodwater, taking it for divine blessing.

The Delhi Secretariat, which houses the offices of the chief minister, cabinet ministers and key bureaucrats, was also not spared from inundation. Areas near Vasudev Ghat were also flooded.

In low-lying areas like Mayur Vihar Phase I, some relief camps were inundated, leading to the opposition slamming the arrangements made by the government. Also flooded was the Shri Marghat Wale Hanuman Baba Mandir near Kashmere Gate.

"Every year, when the water level of the Yamuna rises, it bathes the idol of Lord Hanuman. This is holy water. We revere it," said a person.

The Kashmere Gate ISBT, a key junction to take buses to several bordering states, saw an inches-deep collection of water.

PWD officials, however, said the waterlogging near the major bus stand and the Civil Lines area was due to regulator drains being closed as a precautionary measure, and maintained that the water is not river water but accumulated rainwater.

"At some of the spots opposite Monastery Market, rainwater entered some of the homes. The small drains along this stretch are connected to the Qudesia Ghat regulator drain, which has been closed as the Yamuna level is rising," a PWD official said.

The official said they are draining the water collected at one point and taking it to another location, but since the proper outfall arrangements are hampered, there is waterlogging.

The office of the East district magistrate issued an advisory cautioning people against swimming, boating, or engaging in any recreational activity in the swollen river.

The Aam Aadmi Party hit out at Lt Governor V K Saxena and the Delhi government over the flood, accusing them of being absent from relief efforts underway on the ground.

The Delhi Congress said it was "shocking" to see many relief camps submerged, which defeated the very point of their existence. The flaw exposed the "lack" of governance experience of the government, it said.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.