Delhi govt to desilt Yamuna river near ITO barrage as part of flood control plan

Delhi govt to desilt Yamuna river near ITO barrage as part of flood control plan

New Delhi, In a move aimed at bolstering its flood management strategy, the Delhi government plans to take up a silt removal exercise in the Yamuna river at the ITO barrage, officials said on Wednesday.

Delhi govt to desilt Yamuna river near ITO barrage as part of flood control plan

According to officials, the work will be done to deepen the existing water channel starting from the left bank of the river near the barrage.

The ITO barrage on the Yamuna is closest to all the areas affected by flooding three years ago, including ITO, Ring Road, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Rajghat and nearby areas. Malfunctioning of the five gates of the barrage due to heavy silting was one of the major factors, officials said.

"It would be ensured that no hindrance is caused to the free flow of water in the trench. No silt should be taken away from the floodplain, and the water channel after work should be of regular size," an official of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department said.

According to an IFC department report, as the gates on the east end of the barrage could not be opened at the peak water level of the Yamuna, the pressure was so high that the water started spilling onto areas, roads, and colonies situated along the river in the stretch between Wazirabad and the ITO barrage.

Earlier this month, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta chaired a high-level review meeting, directing all departments to complete desilting of drains on time and ensure special arrangements at known flooding hotspots.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.