Delhi will not suffer in this monsoon as it did in 2023, says CM
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday said 15 monitoring stations, including a central control room, have been set up to observe the Yamuna river level and track waterlogging-prone areas, enabling timely action to prevent floods and waterlogging during the upcoming monsoon.
Ms. Gupta made the announcement after chairing a meeting on flood control and issuing the 'Flood Control Order, 2025', which will serve as a manual to ensure synergy among all the government departments while tackling emergency situations during heavy rain.
'Every year, citizens of Delhi suffer due to the dual challenges of floods and waterlogging. In August-September 2023, the city experienced unprecedented floods when the Yamuna river rose to 208.6 meters, submerging many residential areas and resulting in loss of life and severe disruption. We will be prepared this year,' said the CM.
She criticised the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, saying it did not take the work of flood control seriously. 'In 2023, the gates of the ITO barrage couldn't even be opened due to poor preparedness. In contrast, this year all major barrages have undergone large-scale repairs and maintenance, and nearly 20 lakh tonnes of silt has been removed from the major drains.' She added that 80-90% of the desilting works had been completed by the Public Works Department and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, and the remaining work is under way.
Unseasonal rain last month led to several incidents of waterlogging, prompting the CM to take action against the officials concerned.
Monsoon protocol
As per Wednesday's order, sector committees have been created across the city. These will be headed by Cabinet Ministers Pravesh Sahib Singh, Ashish Sood, and Manjinder Singh Sirsa. Each panel will include three to four District Magistrates and will be responsible for flood management in its respective sector.
The PWD and other departments concerned have been asked to ensure that all permanent pump houses remain functional. They have also been instructed to deploy mobile pumps wherever necessary to prevent waterlogging. The central flood control room will start operating on June 15 and has been established at the office of the District Magistrate (East). It will function as a coordination hub with representatives from all civic bodies stationed 24x7. A total of 15 wireless stations, including the central control room, will continuously monitor the water levels of the Yamuna and other vulnerable areas.
In response to the CM's allegations, AAP said that the ITO barrage is maintained by the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Haryana government. 'In 2023, they [Haryana government] had to suspend their Chief Engineer for failing to maintain the barrage's gates. In 2024, the AAP government ensured that the Haryana government properly maintained the gates. The same was done in 2025.'
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