Latest news with #ParveshSahibSingh
Indian Express
a day ago
- 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.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Will request Haryana govt. to hand over control of ITO Barrage: Parvesh
The Hindu Bureau New Delhi Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh on Wednesday said the Delhi government will formally ask Haryana to hand over control of the ITO barrage, which he termed 'vital' to the Capital's flood response. The Minister cited the 2023 Delhi floods, which he said were worsened by the barrage's 'malfunctioning' gates, and stressed the need for the national capital to have 'full authority to act swiftly during emergencies' .'I'll take up this matter personally to ensure Delhi's safety is not compromised,' Mr. Singh said. In July 2023, Delhi was submerged by the most severe floods in its history, caused by rising waters in the Yamuna river .On Wednesday, Yamuna's level in Delhi hovered just below the 'warning mark' of 204.5 metres. At 10 a.m., it was recorded at 204.13 metres. By 8 p.m., the level had receded slightly to 204.08 metres. According to an official, the 'release of water from Hathnikund barrage in Haryana had decreased by evening, and the water level in Delhi is also expected to fall'. Meanwhile, heavy rain in parts of the city in the morning caused widespread waterlogging and traffic disruptions. Affected areas included Greater Kailash, Pul Prahladpur, Zakhira underpass, Moti Nagar, Seelampur, Laxmi Nagar, G.T. Road, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, and the DTC depot in Nand Nagri. Notably, no stagnant water was reported from the underpass in central Delhi's Minto Bridge, a waterlogging hotspot. AAP takes on govt. AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj posted a video on X, showing a woman rowing a boat on a flooded street, with the comment: 'Free water sports offered by the four-engine government.' 'The government does not run this boat service, but we salute the special contribution of the BJP's Delhi government,' he said, hitting out at the ruling party. AAP also welcomed the announcement by Mr. Singh. 'It is good to see better sense prevailing. The BJP can see the facts clearly,' it said. The party added that during 2023, when it was in power in Delhi, BJP-ruled Haryana 'did not open the gates of the ITO barrage due to poor maintenance. That was the real cause of the flooding in Delhi'. A day earlier, Education Minister Ashish Sood had, while referring to waterlogging incidents, alleged that '10 years of corruption by AAP, and 15 years of negligence by the Congress government earlier, have led to this situation in the national capital'.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Delhi govt to come up with new Water Master Plan to replace decades old pipelines: Minister
With an aim to upgrade the aging water supply infrastructure in Delhi and replace all the old pipelines which are 40 to 80 years old, the BJP government is planning a new 'Water Master Plan', Water and Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said on Saturday. During a visit to various areas in New Delhi, the constituency he represents in the Assembly, Singh made the announcement and also highlighted the ongoing water crisis and deteriorating conditions of water infrastructure in the city. One of the root causes of the city's water problems, he underlined, is the extremely old pipeline system, which has not been upgraded in decades. 'There are a lot of places in Delhi where people face issues of polluted water. It is because water pipelines are 40 to 80 years old,' the Minister said. He also took aim at the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, saying, 'The previous government did not lay even a single new pipeline. They neglected one of the most basic needs of the people — clean and safe drinking water.' Singh said that the current government has already taken concrete steps to overhaul the water and sewerage infrastructure across the Capital. 'We are preparing a new Master Plan for Delhi. New pipelines will be placed… the budget is passed and further sanctioned, tenders are passed, and work at some places has already started,' the Minister asserted. He also underlined, 'This government is only five months old, but I want to make you all believe that in one year, Delhi's face will change.' The PWD Minister assured residents that these infrastructure upgrades are not limited to announcements but are visible on the ground, with work already initiated in certain localities. He also instructed the departments concerned to ensure that timelines are met and that the work is carried out with full transparency and without any compromise on quality.
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
How a ‘divine visitor' feasted his way through Delhi Secretariat, led by a Cabinet minister
It is not every day that a monkey strolls through the corridors of a government office in Lutyens' Delhi and leaves after finishing a feast of a bowl of pomegranates, a banana, and a mango – all carefully fed by a Cabinet minister. On Thursday, however, this is exactly what unfolded at the Delhi Secretariat. As seen in a video shared by Cabinet Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh on X, a rhesus macaque wandered into his ministry. Hailing it as a moment of divine intervention, Singh wrote: 'Jai Bajrang Bali. Today, the Lord himself came to my ministry in the form of a monkey, due to which energy and positivity spread in the entire office.' The video, which gained significant traction with around 7.7 lakh views, shows the monkey seated calmly on the floor of a corridor, devouring a mango as curious staff members keep their distance and watch silently. ।।जय बजरंग बली ।। आज मेरे मंत्रालय में वानर रूप में स्वयं प्रभु पधारे। जिससे पूरे कार्यालय में ऊर्जा और सकारात्मकता का संचार हुआ। — Parvesh Sahib Singh (@p_sahibsingh) July 17, 2025 The minister stands close by, having already offered a banana and ready with more fruits in his hand, carefully coaxing the guest. The monkey, though visibly enjoying the attention and the snack, keeps a sharp eye on everyone. After all, it is not every day that he is the centre of attention in a major government office. And in a remarkably orderly fashion — no panic, no calls to animal control — the minister gently led the monkey through the hallway and into a balcony just outside his office. Here, Singh again feeds the monkey, this time with a bowl of pomegranates. With that, Delhi's most unusual visit of the day ended without fuss, Singh's joy reflecting in the video's text, 'It was a visit from God himself (swayam prabhu padhare).' According to officials, no intervention was sought from the Delhi Forest and Wildlife Department, which typically handles monkey-related conflicts in the Capital. The department operates helpline numbers for such incidents, but in this case, the entire encounter was handled in-house with fruits and a quiet sense of reverence. While many online users were divided in their reactions to the moment, a few saw it as a sign of divine blessing. The incident also reopened a familiar conversation in the city: about Delhi's enduring troubles with monkeys. Rhesus macaques do not enjoy protection under the Wildlife Protection Act. As a result, in 2024, the Delhi High Court directed civic agencies, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), to come up with a plan to deal with the 'monkey menace'.
Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Elevated corridor above Inner Ring Road on the cards to decongest Delhi: Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh
To tackle traffic congestion in the national capital, the Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) is planning to construct an elevated corridor or a third ring road above the existing Inner Ring Road. PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said the key aim is to decongest traffic jams and provide a smooth vehicular movement along one of Delhi's busiest arterial roads. A meeting in this regard was held last week, where the minister directed the department to appoint a consultant to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR). 'Looking at the increasing traffic load on the Ring Road, we plan to construct this elevated corridor over the existing road. Some parcels of land will be acquired, and ramps and loops will be built to connect the elevated road with arterial routes,' said the minister. Officials said that the inner ring road is 55 km long, starting from Shalimar Bagh in North Delhi to Azadpur. This is a vital commuter link that witnesses severe congestion during peak hours. The proposed elevated corridor is expected to span around 80 kilometres when ramps, loops, and additional connecting roads are included, offering improved connectivity and easing traffic flow at several known bottlenecks, said officials. PWD officials have also been instructed to expedite the consultant selection process to evaluate the technical and feasibility aspects of the project. 'Once the DPR is completed, the department will move toward execution, subject to approvals and funding,' said the minister. The initiative forms part of the Delhi government's broader plan to address persistent traffic snarls at multiple choke points across the capital, many of which are located along the Ring Road corridor. 'An expert committee formed earlier to examine traffic issues across the city is scheduled to meet this week to review the corridor proposal and suggest further steps. This project is a step toward a long-term solution for Delhi's traffic woes,' officials said.
