Delhi to ask Haryana for control of ITO barrage, cites 2023 flood crisis

The 552-metre-long ITO barrage, also known as the Indraprastha barrage, lies along the old ITO bridge and is considered the most critical flood control infrastructure for Delhi.

The Delhi government will formally request the Haryana government to hand over control of the ITO barrage on the Yamuna River in an effort to strengthen flood management in the national capital, officials said on Wednesday.

A view of the ITO Yamuna River Barrage. (HT PHOTO)

Irrigation and flood control minister Parvesh Verma confirmed the decision, citing last year’s flood crisis in which malfunctioning gates at the barrage contributed to the extent of flooding in central Delhi. “The ITO barrage is vital to Delhi’s flood control. In 2023, its malfunctioning gates worsened the crisis. While repairs have been made, Delhi needs full control to act swiftly in emergencies. We will formally request the Haryana government to hand it over. I’ll take up this matter personally to ensure Delhi’s safety is not compromised,” Verma added.

The 552-metre-long ITO barrage, also known as the Indraprastha barrage, lies along the old ITO bridge and is considered the most critical flood control infrastructure for Delhi. It is currently under the administrative control of the Haryana irrigation department, though Delhi’s flood control team monitors it actively during the monsoon, officials added.According to the 1994 water-sharing agreement between five states that resulted in the creation of the Upper Yamuna River Board, Haryana operates the barrage.

The barrage can discharge three lakh cusecs of water at a time, which is sufficient to meet current flood management requirements, officials said.

During the 2023 floods, five of the 32 gates at the barrage were found to be jammed, causing delays in flood mitigation efforts. Then flood control minister Saurabh Bharadwaj stated that the Delhi government was unaware until the crisis that the barrage was maintained by Haryana and claimed it had not been cleaned in decades.

The operation to free the jammed gates required the assistance of Indian Navy personnel and private firms from Meerut and Mumbai and took several days to complete, officials noted.

A senior official from Haryana’s irrigation department, requesting anonymity, said, “Recently, one meeting took place on this issue between Delhi and Haryana government officials. So far, the stated stand of the Haryana government on the official file is that Haryana must continue management of the ITO barrage due to various technical issues linked to the measurement and flow of Yamuna water to Delhi and UP.”

Officials also confirmed that past requests had been made by Delhi for the handover, but no agreement was reached. The barrage is in Delhi but is one of six barrages on the Yamuna, with management split across states: ITO is under Haryana, Wazirabad under Delhi, and Okhla under the Uttar Pradesh government.

The Yamuna flows for 48 km through Delhi, including a 22-km stretch between Wazirabad and Okhla, where these three barrages play a pivotal role in water flow regulation and flood control.