Latest news with #I&FC)Department
Indian Express
07-08-2025
- Climate
- Indian Express
Yamuna breaches warning mark in Delhi for first time this monsoon
The Yamuna river breached the warning mark in Delhi for the first time this monsoon season early Thursday, prompting authorities to initiate preparations for possible evacuations in low-lying areas. According to officials from the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge, where real-time monitoring takes place, rose to 204.88 metres since 5 am — breaching the warning mark of 204.5 metres. By noon, it had climbed further to 204.98 metres. The danger mark is 205.33 metres, and evacuations are triggered at 206 metres. 'The river crossed the warning level for the first time this season early this morning. Our field staff and sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) will visit and verbally alert residents living in vulnerable areas. Evacuation will begin, if needed, as per standard procedure,' an official at the I&FC central control room told The Indian Express. Officials intensified on-ground response measures. Harish Kumar, in charge of the I&FC Department's Boat Club unit, made public announcements urging people to immediately vacate the Yamuna floodplains, citing rising water levels and safety concerns. Earlier on Wednesday, Google's real-time flood forecasting model, Google Hub — which uses data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) — had issued a flood alert for Delhi, predicting a 10-12 cm rise for Thursday. As of Thursday noon, it indicated a potential decline of 10-50 cm by Friday afternoon. Despite this, authorities have remained cautious, noting that the current level is the highest recorded since the 2023 floods. Officials from various agencies, including the I&FC Department, are on alert, tracking the Yamuna's level following heavy rainfall in upstream states and high discharge from the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), several regions in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh — both critical to the Yamuna's catchment — have recorded significant rain in the past 24 hours (till 8.30 am on August 7). In Uttarakhand, Barkot in Uttarkashi received 10 cm of rain, and Roorkee in Haridwar received 5 cm. In Himachal Pradesh, Naina Devi in Bilaspur recorded 9 cm, while Pachhad in Sirmaur and the R L BBMB site in Bilaspur recorded 7 cm each. This rainfall contributes to increased discharge at the Hathnikund barrage, eventually impacting water levels in Delhi with a time lag of around 48 hours. 'For the first time this monsoon, discharge from Hathnikund crossed 50,000 cusecs, peaking at 61,729 cusecs around 5 to 6 am today (Thursday),' the I&FC Deparment official said. 'Since then, about 50,000 cusecs have been released every hour. This water takes around 36 to 48 hours to reach Delhi, entering first through Wazirabad and then flowing downstream to the ITO and Okhla barrages.' The Yamuna's level had been gradually rising since July 30, when it stood at around 202 metres. A slight dip on Tuesday was followed by a fresh spike on Wednesday evening, when the river reached 204.14 metres. 'The levels keep changing every hour depending on the discharge. But, on average, it stays at around 202-203 metres or 203-204 metres…,' the official said. With water levels continuously rising, the situation mirrors the crisis that struck Delhi in 2023. On July 12 of that year, despite six forecasts from the CWC predicting that levels would 'remain steady,' the Yamuna surged the following day to a record high of 208.66 metres. This led to the displacement of over 25,000 residents. Given potential flood-like situations, the Delhi government last month cleared a proposal to formally approach the Haryana government seeking control of the ITO barrage, which plays a key role in managing the Yamuna's flow through the city. The step was taken because, during the 2023 floods, jammed gates at the Haryana-controlled barrage were blamed for exacerbating the crisis. While the gates have since been repaired, Delhi officials have argued that full operational control is necessary for swift flood management. The Wazirabad barrage is managed by Delhi, the Okhla barrage by Uttar Pradesh, and the ITO barrage remains with Haryana.
Hans India
18-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Govt to hire pvt firm for flood control dept's social media strategy
New Delhi: The Delhi government is planning to hire a private agency to develop and implement a comprehensive social media strategy for the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department, officials said on Thursday. According to the plan, the selected agency will be responsible for generating awareness about the de-partment's achievements and managing its social media accounts across platforms. 'The agency will also be required to create, on average, a minimum of one creative audio-video clip of up to one-minute duration (three videos per week) on any of the activities as directed by the department,' an official said. The I&FC department is the nodal agency in managing urban flooding in the city and is also responsible for desilting 22 large drains like one in Najafgarh, which will ultimately reduce the pollution load in Ya-muna river. As per the plan, the department has outlined an expansive digital and media strategy, and the agency, which will be finalized, will handle all communication and media outreach activities. 'The agency will be updating and analyzing social media trends, and moderation and intervention will be mandated as and when required. It will also focus on redesign, content structuring, real-time updates, and performance analytics,' the tender states. In addition, all major social media platforms, including X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, will be managed to ensure effective content dissemination and proactive messaging, officials added. Under this social media plan, the private company will design and create all outdoor advertisements, promotional materials, and media campaigns for I&FC. 'The agency shall be responsible for keeping a log of the complaints received on these platforms and the replies and comments from the departments. Such a report shall have to be shared with higher officers on a weekly basis,' officials said. The department has floated a tender to hire an agency for a period of one year at the cost of Rs 74 lakh.
New Indian Express
01-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Engineer, contractor held in Rs 4.6 crore irrigation scam
NEW DELHI: The anti-corruption branch (ACB) of the Delhi government has arrested two individuals, including a suspended executive engineer and a private contractor, for allegedly siphoning off over Rs 4.6 crore meant for civil works that were never carried out in the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department, officials said on Monday. They said the scam involved the release of payments for nonexistent roads and drains in Siraspur village in north Delhi and painting works in Burari, based on forged documents and manipulated test records. ACB's Joint Commissioner Madhur Verma said the fraud came to light after the vigilance branch of the I&FC department received a complaint and ordered a preliminary probe. A team of engineers was set up by the Principal Secretary to physically verify the works. 'The probe found that 100% of the tender amounts had been disbursed in four separate projects—despite no physical work having been executed,' Verma said. According to investigators, M/s Baba Construction Company was awarded three tenders worth Rs 5.3 crore for constructing RCC drains and roads in Siraspur. Of this, Rs 4.2 crore was fraudulently released without any work being done. 'In another case, M/s Amba Construction Company received Rs 43.74 lakh for repair and painting work at the CTP Network in Burari, exceeding the tender value of Rs 38.98 lakh—again, with no evidence of work on the ground,' Verma said.
NDTV
30-06-2025
- NDTV
Engineer, Contractor Arrested For Rs 4.6 Crore Fraud In Delhi Irrigation Department
The Delhi government's anti-corruption branch (ACB) has arrested a suspended executive engineer and a private contractor for defrauding the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department of Rs 4.6 crore fraud, an official said on Monday. The two accused allegedly facilitated fraudulent payments worth over Rs 4.6 crore for civil works that were never executed. The irregularities relate to drainage and road projects in a north Delhi village, Siraspur, which were found to exist only on paper. "The arrested individuals include an executive engineer of the I&FC Department who was under suspension, and a private contractor. Their arrest follows a detailed probe into the embezzlement of public funds through fictitious projects and procedural violations," the officer said. The alleged fraud came to light during an internal inquiry that spotlighted large-scale irregularities in payments made to certain contractors without physical verification of works. Acting on the findings, the ACB launched a full-fledged investigation. The initial scrutiny revealed that public funds amounting to over Rs 4.6 crore were released for the construction of reinforced cement concrete drains and roads in Siraspur village. However, on-ground inspection and technical verification found no trace of the proposed civil works. Investigators uncovered that fake performance bank guarantees amounting to Rs 2.24 crore were submitted by the contractor and were accepted by the department without cross verification. "The acceptance of forged performance guarantees is a grave violation of procurement norms. It is a clear indication of collusion and gross negligence on part of the officials involved," the ACB official added. The probe also found multiple violations of the Central Public Works Department Works Manual, General Financial Rules -2005, and guidelines laid down by the Central Vigilance Commission.
