Latest news with #FloodControlOrder
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Delhi govt fully prepared to handle any flood-like situation: CM Gupta
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Wednesday issued a 'Flood Control Order' directing departments to be prepared for any 'flood-like situation' in the national capital. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta asserted that the government is fully prepared to handle any such situation. Gupta on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the apex committee on flood control at the secretariat to review the city's preparedness ahead of the monsoon season and to issue the Flood Control Order 2025, which serves as a manual or guidebook for all departments, a statement said. The document carries details of each department's responsibilities, emergency contact points, and disaster management protocols. After the meeting, Gupta said that every year, Delhi residents suffer due to floods and waterlogging. She recalled how in August-September 2023, Delhi was struck by an unprecedented flood when the Yamuna River rose to 208.6 metres, submerging many residential areas. She said nodal officers have been deployed in major flood-prone areas and key drains are being desilted, the statement said. Gupta claimed that the previous governments never took flood control seriously and pointed out how in 2023, gates of the barrage couldn't even be opened as a consequence. 'In contrast, this year all major barrages have undergone large-scale repairs and maintenance, and nearly 20 lakh metric tonnes of silt have been removed from major drains. Around 80-90 per cent of desilting work by MCD and PWD is complete and the rest is ongoing,' she said. The CM said the Flood Control Order 2025 carries guidelines for drainage systems, river embankments, pumping stations, operational plans, equipment details, and emergency contact numbers. She said committees have been formed under cabinet ministers Parvesh Sahib Singh, Ashish Sood, and Manjinder Singh Sirsa, with three to four district magistrates under each with the responsibility to manage floods.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Hindu
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.'
