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Indian Express
2 days ago
- 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.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Yamuna nears warning threshold again
Once again hovering close to the warning mark, the water level in Yamuna was recorded at 204.14 m at 5 pm on Wednesday, as per the Central Water Commission. While the warming threshold is 204.5 m, the danger level stands 205.33 m. The highest flood level ever recorded is 208.66 m at the Old Railway Bridge monitoring station. The river has been rising steadily since July 30, when the water level stood around 202 m. The water levels dipped slightly on August 5, and rose again on Wednesday. According to Google's Flood Hub forecasting system, the river is expected to rise another 10–50 cm by Thursday evening. As the situation escalates, the Delhi government had last month decided to formally approach the Haryana government once again seeking control of the ITO barrage, which plays a key role in managing Yamuna's flow through the city. 'The Delhi government will formally request the Haryana government to hand over the control of the ITO barrage to bolster the city's flood management,' underlined an official statement. Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh had approved the proposal. The move follows last year's flooding crisis, when jammed gates at the ITO barrage which has been under Haryana's jurisdiction were blamed for worsening the situation. Over 25,000 people were displaced and water treatment plants were shut down. Even as the gates have since been repaired, officials said full operational control is essential for swift emergency action. The ITO barrage remains a politically sensitive site. While Delhi controls the Wazirabad barrage and Uttar Pradesh manages Okhla, the ITO barrage is with Haryana which has been a source of friction in recent years.
Indian Express
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Yamuna inches closer to danger mark, Delhi set to approach Haryana for control of ITO barrage
With the water level of the Yamuna river in the Capital inching dangerously close to the official warning mark on Wednesday, the Delhi government has decided to approach Haryana again to seek control of the ITO barrage. 'The Delhi government will formally request the Haryana government to hand over the control of the ITO barrage on the Yamuna river to bolster the city's flood management,' read an official statement. Irrigation and Flood Control Minister (I&FC) Parvesh Sahib Singh has given a nod to the plan, said officials. 'The Minister is likely to take the matter up with Haryana,' said an official, adding, 'While repairs have been made, Delhi needs full control to act swiftly in emergencies…'. The statement also underlined that the matter is being taken up 'to ensure Delhi's safety is not compromised'. Around 6 pm on Wednesday, the water level of the Yamuna river reached 204.08 metres, close to the official warning mark of 204.5 m, sparking flooding concerns. The danger level mark is 205.33 m at the Old Railway Bridge, which is the water level monitoring site in Delhi, for flood forecasting. Of the three Yamuna barrages in the Capital, the Delhi government maintains the Wazirabad barrage, and the Okhla barrage is handled by the Uttar Pradesh government. The ITO barrage is managed by the Haryana government. The ITO barrage site was at the centre of controversy in 2023 as the water level breached the 208-metres mark and flooded the area, forcing more than 25,000 people living along the floodplains to be displaced. The key water treatment plants, including Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla, were shut, leading to a drinking water crisis in the Capital. The jamming of the defunct barrage gates was among the concerns raised by the officials in the city. There were five jammed gates at the site, which were finally opened after a month-long operation by the Indian Navy and divers. Key areas in the city near the site, including Ring Road, Kashmere Gate, Old Delhi, Civil Lines and East Delhi, till the Supreme Court, got inundated within a day. Referring to this, an official in Wednesday's statement was quoted as saying, 'While the gates at the barrage have been repaired to prevent any flood-like situation like in 2023, we are monitoring the situation closely…' This is not the first time the government has appealed to Haryana to hand over the control of the ITO barrage to allow quicker on-ground response. Responding to the Delhi government's decision, the Aam Aadmi Party, in a statement, said, 'In 2023, it is a matter of record that the BJP-ruled Haryana government did not open the gates of the ITO barrage due to poor maintenance. That was the real cause of flooding in Delhi. When AAP's Delhi government raised this issue, the BJP defended its Haryana government. 'The then I&FC Minister, Saurabh Bharadwaj, had requested the Haryana CM to hand over the maintenance of the ITO barrage to the Delhi government. It is good to see that better sense is now prevailing, and the BJP is able to see the facts without political colouring,' it added. A probe panel set up by the Haryana government had attributed the 2023 flooding to the non-opening of four ITO gates and to the floodplain encroachments near the barrage, which slowed down drainage. A chief engineer of the Haryana Irrigation Department. who was posted in Delhi, was later suspended. Earlier, however, senior officials from the Haryana government had reasoned that the control of the barrage was key to get authentic data to resolve any water sharing disputes, adding that it plays 'a strategic role' to check available supplies in Yamuna.
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.
NDTV
16-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
To Avoid Flooding Like Last Year, Delhi Unclogs One Of 3 Major Drains
New Delhi: Authorities in Delhi have taken major steps towards reducing waterlogging in parts of the national capital. Two long-clogged water bays along the Barapulla drain, one of the three major drains in Delhi, are now flowing freely after decades-old encroachments near the Old Barapulla Bridge were cleared by the civic authorities and the police. The widening of the drain's right bank is also completed, confirmed the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, adding that silt and debris removal is currently underway. "After the removal of illegal structures, the department has taken up the widening of the Barapullah drain on the right bank and the opening of long-clogged water bays. This marks the first major intervention in decades," said Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Verma. The development follows a large-scale encroachment removal drive carried out on June 1 by the Revenue Department, Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Police, and other agencies. The demolition targeted the Madrasi Camp settlement, which had occupied the right bank of the Barapulla drain between the Old Barapulla Bridge and a nearby railway line. The action followed a Delhi High Court direction to authorities to remove obstructions and restore the free flow of water. The issue first surfaced during a field inspection by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena last August, when he found the Barapullah, Kushak, and Sunehri drains choked with silt. This contradicted the desilting claims made by the then AAP-led government. The Lt Governor had then pointed out that while these drains were designed to carry 24% of Delhi's stormwater load, they were operating at less than 10% capacity. He subsequently ordered round-the-clock deployment of machinery, with a particular focus on the Barapulla stretch. Officials confirmed to NDTV that more than 14 lakh metric tonnes of silt have been removed since the desilting effort began in August last year. Last year, heavy rain had caused flooding in several parts of South Delhi, South East Delhi, and New Delhi. The government believes that the restored drainage system will significantly reduce flooding this monsoon, especially in low-lying areas such as Nizamuddin and Sarai Kale Khan. Years of narrowing activities and obstructions had led to chronic waterlogging in these localities. Two of the three bays along the Barapulla drain are finally flowing after decades. But with the third still blocked by a Delhi Transco Ltd (DTL) tower situated directly at its inlet, one question looms large: how soon can the final obstacle be removed to restore the drain's full flow?
