Delhi's Big Request To Haryana For Better Flood Management

The Delhi government will formally request Haryana to hand over control of the Indraprastha Barrage on the Yamuna River to improve the city's flood management, senior officials said on Wednesday.

The move follows last year's flood crisis in the capital, where non-functional gates at the barrage were among the factors that worsened the situation.

The ITO barrage, also known as the ITO Bridge, regulates the flow of the Yamuna within Delhi and plays a critical role during peak monsoon and upstream water releases.

The plan has been approved by Delhi's Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, who is likely to take the matter up with Haryana.

"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," Minister Verma said.

Delhi has previously written to Haryana urging a handover of the barrage's key structure, but its control has so far remained with the neighbouring state. 

"While the gates at the barrage have been repaired to prevent any flood-like situation like in 2023, and we are monitoring it. We will also be requesting Haryana to hand it over," a government official said.

With forecasts of heavy rainfall ahead, Delhi officials said that full operational control over the barrage is essential to prevent last year's chaos from repeating again. 

There are 32 gates on the ITO barrage. Of the three barrages on the Yamuna River, the Delhi government controls only one in Wazirabad, while the Okhla barrage is controlled by the Uttar Pradesh government.