Last Updated: 15 Sept 2024

ITO Barrage: 5 out of total 22 gates blocked

=>  23% water blockage
=> 23% of 3.58 lakh cusec water^[1]
=> 81260 cusec unwanted water being retained in Delhi
=>  Floods in Delhi^[2]

Haryana Govt Fact finding Commitee:^[3]

-- Faults Haryana Irrigation Dept for Negligence for ITO gate blockage in Delhi
-- Orders to suspend its Chief Engineer and charge-sheet concerned SE, XEN & SDO

¶ Delhi Floods 2023^[4][5]

• 5 gates of ITO Barrage were blocked, as was not properly maintained by Govt. of Haryana
• Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj found this during an inspection during Delhi floods 2023
• This also damaged the regulator on ITO drain resulting in Yamuna flood water entering the city through the drains too

¶ Yamuna in Delhi^[6]

Yamuna river enters Delhi near village Palla and flows for 48 km in Delhi

Out of this, Yamuna flows undisturbed for approx. 22 km, is stopped at Wazirabad barrage. This is the upper stretch of the river and there is no official water withdrawal from the river in this stretch

¶ Yamuna Barrages in Delhi^[6:1]

There are 3 barrages over Yamuna located in Delhi

1. ITO Barrage (Also called Yamuna barrage)^[7]

• Located in Delhi near ITO
• Maintained by Govt. of Haryana
• 552 meter long with 22 spillway bays of 18.3m each and 10 under-sluices bays of 8.38 meter each
• Govt. of Delhi has earlier also request Govt. of Haryana to let it take over this ITO barrage but was denied[8]

2. Wazirabad Barrage^[8]

• Maintained by Govt. of Delhi
• Located in Delhi
• 454m long with 17 spillway bays of 17.5 m and 12 under-sluices of 8m each on the right side
• During peak summer season in Delhi there is very little, if any, water discharge from Wazirabad barrage.
• Water from the resultant Wazirabad pond is diverted for treatment to the adjoining water treatment plants (WTPs)

3. Okhla Barrage^[9]

• Located in Delhi
• Maintained by Govt of Uttar Pradesh
• 552.09 meter long with clear waterway of 494.1 meter
  • There are 22 spillway bays and 5 under-sluices bays of 18.3 meter each
• Agra canal is off taking on the right side of the barrage meant for irrigating the fields of Uttar Pradesh
• Gurgaon Canal also off takes from the barrage meant for irrigating the fields of Haryana State

References:

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1. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/its-not-just-haryana-heres-why-delhi-is-flooded-despite-little-rain-in-4-days/articleshow/101741441.cms?from=mdr ↩︎

2. https://twitter.com/ndtvindia/status/1679854203890540544 ↩︎

3. https://www.bhaskar.com/amp/local/haryana/news/haryana-cm-manohar-lal-delhi-cm-arvind-kejriwal-yamuna-flood-controversy-yamuna-ito-barrage-chief-engineer-suspended-131662181.html ↩︎

4. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/city/delhi/gates-of-ito-barrage-jammed-saurabh-bharadwaj-on-flood-situation-in-delhi/videoshow/101737807.cms ↩︎

5. https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/aaps-saurabh-bharadwaj-attacks-bjp-over-ito-barrage-maintenance-issue-1237604.html ↩︎

6. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-showing-geographic-expanse-of-River-Yamuna-and-its-floodplain-along-with-river_fig4_308180160 ↩︎ ↩︎

7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITO_barrage ↩︎

8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wazirabad_barrage ↩︎

9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okhla_barrage ↩︎