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HT THIS DAY: August 29, 1967 — Jumna menaces city power station; two women drowned in well, child in nullah
More than 1,500 houses have collapsed in 130 waterlogged villages. Large areas with standing crops have been submerged. The total loss is estimated at over ₹1 crore
New Delhi- Swollen by the heavy discharge from Tajewala and drains in Delhi, the Jumna rose four feet above the danger mark of 672 feet, and posed serious threat to the Rajghat power house tonight.
Small bunds were being constructed outside the power station to save the turbines from the flood waters. Chief Engineer R. Seth said the power station was “so far” safe.
The floods claimed three lives today. Two old women were drowned in flooded wells near Nangloi and a two year old girl in a nullah in Gulabi Bagh.
Almost all drains flowing into the river have been closed because they have started flowing back. Hundreds of huts in Jumna Bazar were flooded in the backwash of a nullah.
Long stretches of the GT Road have been submerged by the Jumna. Water one foot deep stood over several points near Badli. Some light vehicles were marooned in the submerged areas.
According to Mr Madan Mohan Singh Director, Public Relations, Delhi more than 1,500 houses have collapsed in 130 water-logged villages. Large areas with standing crops have been submerged. The total loss is estimated at over ₹1 crore.
He said the Jumna would rise further tomorrow. The discharge from the Tajewala headworks was today almost half of yesterdays. But the improvement will be seen only from Wednesday.
High level
The heavy discharge in the Najafgarh lake in West Delhi worsened the situation there today (August 28). The discharge from the Dhassa bund into the lake is about 1,800 cusecs against an outflow of 800 cusecs through the Najafgath nullah. This has brought many villages around the lake under water.
According to engineers, the Najafgarh nullah will rise further because of the reduced discharge of the nullah into the river at Wazirabad. In addition to the 300 cusecs from the Najafgarh lake a large quantity of water from the flooded villages is being drained out into the nullah. Because the river level is almost as high as the nullah level, only a small quantity of water flows into the river.
The engineers said there was no danger of the nullah bursting its banks unless it rained heavily.
The Jumna has started eroding part of the refuse dump at Badli. But the civic authorities said they had recently constructed a protective wall around the dump and the flood waters would not carry sullage into the river.
Engineers at the high power transmission centres of All India Radio in Khampur and Nangli said their installations were safe. These centres are across the GT Road near Alipur, which has been seriously affected by the floods.
