Broken drain gate that worsened flooding at ITO in Delhi to be fixed at last

The design capacity of the regulator gate has been increased, keeping in mind last year’s flood, officials said

Delhi government officials will repair by April 30 an iron gate — installed on a drain to control the flow of water from the Yamuna — that collapsed and allowed water from the river to course into parts of central Delhi during last year’s record floods, said people aware of the matter.

Tenders have been floated to forge the new gate at an estimated cost of ₹43 lakh. (HT Photo)

The new gate, known as a regulator, will also be designed to hold back more water, added the officials. The regulator is usually left open and is closed only when the Yamuna’s waters swell, officials said.

Areas along the Yamuna floodplains were inundated last June following incessant rainfall that pushed the river’s water past the danger levels and resulted in flooding in parts of eastern and central Delhi.

The crisis aggravated as the gate at the ITO regulator on drain number 12 broke due to sudden and high water pressure. Water from the Yamuna gushed in, inundating parts of ITO, Indraprastha and Mathura Road, and even reached Raj Ghat and the Supreme Court complex, they added.

Officials from the irrigation and flood control department said that they will install the iron gate at ITO’s drain number 12 by April 30 and complete repair work at the site.

“The old gate broke and fell on the drain bed last year during the floods. It was removed from the site around June 18 last year. The new iron gate has been forged at the site and will now be installed on its grooves using hydraulic cranes. The regulator will be repaired well before the monsoon season, and we have improved the design,” an official from the irrigation department said on condition of anonymity.

Officials said that the new design received the final financial approval from the irrigation department in January, after which tenders were floated to forge the new gate at an estimated cost of ₹43 lakh.

Following the sudden release of water towards Delhi last year, the design capacity of the new gate has been increased to handle the Yamuna water level up to 210 metres, which earlier was at 206 metres, they added.

The weight of the gate has also been increased from eight tonnes to around 15 tonnes, and the height has gone up from 3.6 metres to around 4.15 metres. The width of the drain is around 10.8 metres, they said.

“Last year, the lieutenant governor suggested that the capacity of the regulators should be enhanced further to withstand higher water pressure. However, increasing the weight and dimensions of the gate further would require the entire external structure to be changed and will need more time and financial approvals. The new scheme has been drafted and is waiting for approvals,” said the official.

“The regulator has handled water level of around 206 metres in the past as water level in the Yamuna increases almost every monsoon. However, last year the intensity and flow of water was very high. When the water level reached the peak, it came downstream with a huge force because of which the regulator fell on the drain bed and got bent in the form of V-shape. After this, back flow into the city began,” said another official of the irrigation department on condition of anonymity.