To improve the national capital’s flood management capabilities, the Delhi government will submit an official request to the Haryana government to transfer control over the ITO barrage, an official said on Wednesday.
He further added that the Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Verma has approved the plan and is likely to take the matter up with Haryana. In July 2023, parts of Delhi were severely flooded after one–three lakh cusecs of water were released from the Hathnikund Barrage, as the non-functional gates of the ITO Barrage failed to regulate the flow.
According to a government official, to prevent a flood-like situation similar to 2023, the gates have been repaired and are being continually monitored. However, they will also request Haryana to hand over the barrage for better management.
The previous Delhi government, led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), had also flagged the lack of maintenance of the barrage and requested that its ownership be transferred to the Delhi government.
The official highlighted that flood-prone areas in the capital are located near the ITO Barrage, and that heavy silting—blocking five of the 32 gates—is a major factor contributing to the city’s inundation.
“As these gates on the east end of the barrage could not be opened at the peak water level of the Yamuna, the pressure was so high that the water started spilling onto areas, roads, and colonies situated along the river in the stretch between Wazirabad and ITO barrage,” states an Irrigation and Flood Control department (I&FC) report on the flooding of 2023.
After entering Delhi, the Yamuna flows through three barrages: the Wazirabad Barrage, maintained by the Delhi government; the ITO Barrage, maintained by the Haryana government; and the Okhla Barrage, maintained by the Uttar Pradesh government.