Delhi upgrades flood gates to avert repeat of 2023 inundation

These structures act as buffers between the rising river and low-lying parts of the city, and the upgrades have been timed just ahead of the monsoon peak.

In an effort to prevent a repeat of the devastating 2023 floods in central Delhi, the city’s irrigation and flood control department has reinforced six critical flood regulators—the iron gates installed along major drains to control backflow from the Yamuna—officials said on Friday.

NDRF team rescue residents at as flood water enter residential colony in New Delhi on July 12, 2023. (Hindustan Times)

These structures act as buffers between the rising river and low-lying parts of the city, and the upgrades have been timed just ahead of the monsoon peak. The regulators are typically kept open and closed only when Yamuna levels rise, officials said.

Among the most significant upgrades is the complete redesign of Regulator Number 12 near ITO, which had failed during the 2023 floods. That breach led to widespread inundation in central Delhi, submerging arterial roads, underpasses, government buildings, and even the Rajghat power substation. The ITO regulator had last been repaired in 2015, officials said.

Along with Regulator 12, five other vulnerable regulators have been strengthened—at Hardev Nagar toe drain, Link Drain II, Burari-Jhorda toe drain, Burari Creek Drain, and Regulator 12A (located adjacent to 12). These upgrades include increasing the height and weight of gates, reinforcing embankments, and adding support structures.

“There are 40 such regulators across Delhi. These six were identified for urgent attention after structural audits conducted post-monsoon last year,” a senior engineer said. “The changes are not just patchwork repairs—they are part of a shift towards anticipatory risk mitigation.”

Delhi irrigation minister Parvesh Verma, who recently reviewed the completed work, said the city’s flood management strategy is moving from reactive to preventive. “In the last two years, we have seen the cost of delay. This year, we’re acting ahead of time. Strengthening these regulators is a key step to ensure that Yamuna water doesn’t enter the city in any circumstances,” Verma told HT.

Officials added that new flood-management tools have also been deployed. These include 24x7 monitoring teams at major regulator sites, installation of telemetry systems to track water levels, and mobile pumping units for flood-prone zones. Emergency measures such as sandbagging, bamboo piling, and rapid-response teams have been kept on standby.

Beyond the regulator upgrades, the government has expedited desilting of major drains, removed encroachments from Yamuna floodplains, and is coordinating with the Central Water Commission to monitor water releases from upstream Haryana.

On Friday, the Yamuna was flowing at 202.7 metres in Delhi—slightly below the previous day’s level, according to the department. A yellow alert for light to moderate rain has been issued for the city and higher-altitude areas in Haryana, which often influence river levels during the monsoon.

The warning level for the Yamuna is 204.5 metres, while the danger mark is set at 205.33 metres. In July 2023, the river breached both, touching an all-time high of 208.6 metres, triggering one of the worst flood events in Delhi in over four decades.