As Yamuna recedes, govt lifts restrictions on entry of trucks

New Delhi: With the Yamuna’s water receding from Delhi, the city government has decided to lift from Wednesday restrictions on the entry of heavy goods vehicles into the national Capital.

The government on July 13 banned the entry of heavy goods vehicles — barring those carrying essential items — from the four borders, including Singhu, as a precautionary measure in view of the rising level of the Yamuna’s water.

The government announced partial lifting of the restrictions on July 17. It announced on Tuesday that the curbs have been fully lifted. “Considering the improvement of flood situation and descending water level of Yamuna river, it has been decided by the Competent Authority to withdraw all restrictions ... with effect from 19-07-2023 (July 19),” read the new order.

The Wazirabad water treatment plant, where operations were hit due to inundation of a pump house, has also started working at full capacity, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said.

A DJB official said the water supply in the city is near normal.

“There is a shortage of only 10-12 million gallons of water per day due to inundation of some tube wells in the river floodplains at Palla,” he said.

The DJB extracts around 30 MGD from tubewells installed in the Palla floodplains.

The river has been receding gradually after peaking at 208.66 metres on Thursday. However, a minor fluctuation in the water level cannot be ruled out due to rain in the upper reaches.

The inundation of a pump house at Wazirabad due to the swollen Yamuna had impeded operations at Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla water treatment plants, leading to a 25 per cent drop in the water supply.

The Okhla WTP began operating on Friday, and Chandrawal on Sunday.

Kejriwal said in a tweet on Tuesday, “Wazirabad Water treatment plant has also started working at full capacity. Now all WTPs are working at full capacity. DJB worked very hard. Thank you DJB!”

Parts of the city have been grappling with waterlogging and flooding issues for a week now.

Initially, a downpour caused intense waterlogging on July 8 and 9, with the city receiving 125 per cent of its monthly

rainfall quota in just two days.

Subsequently, heavy rains in the upper catchment areas, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana, led to the Yamuna swelling to record levels. The river reached 208.66 metres on Thursday, surpassing the previous all-time record of 207.49 metres set in September 1978 by a significant margin. The river breached embankments and penetrated deeper into the city than it has in over four decades.

Friday marked a turning point as the raging Yamuna and the resulting backflow of foul-smelling water from drains spilt into prominent locations such as the Supreme Court, Raj Ghat, and the bustling intersection at ITO. Prior to the misery on Friday, the river water had already reached the rear ramparts of the Red Fort and inundated one of the city’s major bus terminals at Kashmere Gate. The Ring Road, constructed partially over floodplains, remained closed for three consecutive days near Kashmere Gate last week.