How the 1978 flood led to Delhi strengthening its embankments

The flood in 1978 in Delhi led to the construction of higher embankments and additional bunds, which have protected the city from subsequent floods

New Delhi

HT Image

The flood in 1978 in Delhi, which left large parts of north, northwest, east, and southeast Delhi inundated, led to several changes in the city — the administration built higher embankments and additional bunds -- which have since protected the Capital each time the water level in the Yamuna increased significantly.

Seven hundred thousand cusec of water was released through the Hathnikund barrage in 1978 and the level of the Yamuna at the Old Railway Bridge rose to 207.49 metres. Widespread breaches were reported across the rural embankments, submerging around 43 square km of agricultural land under 2m of water. The river submerged residential areas such as Jahangirpuri, Azadpur, Model Town, Jamia Nagar, Okhla, Mukherjee Nagar, Civil Lines, New Friends Colony, and Maharani Bagh.The total damage to crops, houses, and public utilities was estimated at ₹176.1 crore.

With the water level in the Yamuna at an all-time high now, throwing normal life out of gear, officials who worked to restore normalcy in 1978 and present-day experts believe that the city might have to look at its existing embankments once again and strengthen them for the future.

Omesh Saigal, 82, the former Delhi chief secretary, who held the charge of secretary (finance) in 1978, said that even though embankments existed back then, they were not as robust as the ones at present and were breached at multiple points when the water level crossed 207m.

“We relied on sandbags as a temporary solution to reduce the flow of water but that was not enough. Before that flood, such high levels were never seen and there was also no warning in advance. Large parts of Delhi and prominent residential areas such as Model Town or Civil Lines were flooded. It was decided to strengthen these embankments and add more bunds and shanks (concrete structures). Funds were prioritised for this project and the work began by the next year,” Saigal said, adding that the designs were made to cater to future floods as well.

“The embankments were strong enough to withstand the present levels, which again was a mark that was never touched previously,” he said. On Thursday, the Yamuna touched a high of 208.66m.

Raj Pal, 69, a former irrigation and flood control (I&FC) department official, who retired in 2015, recalled large parts of the embankments getting breached in 1978 .

I&FC was at the forefront of the rescue operations in 1978 along with deputy commissioners and the area sub-divisional magistrates. Pal said that the breach led to brainstorming sessions and decisions to not only raise the height of the embankments but also strengthen existing structures. This apart, 20 shanks and 10 bunds were added in different parts of Delhi to prevent future floods.

“The structure is much more robust now but there is much to be learnt from the current situation as well,” said Pal, who worked as a supervisor, which required him to be on the ground for around eight months a year.

“Areas further up north, like Palla, were devastated by the floods due to a major breach. It was decided to work specifically on these breaches,” he said.

Shanks and bunds now exist near Wazirabad, Jagatpur, Shahdara, Geeta Colony, Yamuna Bazaar, ITO powerhouse, Salimgarh fort, Madanpur Khadar, Jaitpur, Palla, Mithapur and Molarbund.

Manu Bhatnagar, principal director of the natural heritage division at Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) said the 1978 flood was not a standalone event. Floods in 1964 and 1958 provided the then-Delhi administration with an idea of what might happen.

However, soon after the 1978 flood, the administration sprung into action to strengthen the existing embankments, which have so far stood the test of time, he added.

“If we looked at the records, there were low embankments even in 1936. Some learnings also emerged during the 1958 and 1964 floods. In 1964, an embankment was built in the middle of Najafgarh Lake, but after 1978, the existing embankments were made higher and stronger. These were built to withstand floods higher than the existing water levels and the base was 150-200 feet wide. The grass next to the embankments also prevents soil erosion.”

Bhatnagar said he has noticed punctures on the embankments near the northern side of the river but added that Delhi does not need any additional embankments, but simply needs to strengthen the existing ones by filling the gaps.

“I have observed some punctures in the embankment near the Outer Ring Road side beyond ISBT. This flood serves as a warning that levels previously never reached can be reached any time,” he added.

After 1978, the Yamuna breached the 207m mark only twice, in 2010 and 2013, when the water levels touched 207.11m and 207.32m, respectively. However, no major devastation was reported during both times and the embankments were able to handle the flow of water to a large extent.

Shashank Shekhar from the department of geology at Delhi University (DU) said that the situation in 1978 made it clear that the protection along the river was inadequate after which civil engineers planned higher embankments and bunds to prevent such an eventuality again.

“Another learning that emerged was to space out the embankments and ensure they were away from the river so that the floodplain was preserved. The only learning we can take from the current flood is that these embankments and bunds need to be strengthened,” said Shekhar, referring particularly to the Gandhi Nagar bund, which doubles up as a road.

“This bund at the Gandhi Nagar pushta is particularly vulnerable as it is not as tall as the other bunds. An exercise should be undertaken after this flood to strengthen our existing embankments further,” he added.