Haryana transfers ITO barrage to Delhi

New Delhi: In a significant development aimed at boosting flood preparedness, the Haryana government has agreed to transfer operations of the ITO barrage to the Delhi government, senior officials confirmed on Monday. With this, Delhi will now manage two of the three barrages along the Capital’s Yamuna stretch, Wazirabad and ITO, while Okhla remains under Uttar Pradesh’s jurisdiction.

A senior Delhi government functionary said the shift was a crucial step in strengthening disaster management. “With two barrages under our control, we will be better positioned to monitor the flow of water and plan future projects to improve connectivity across the Yamuna,” the official noted.

Water minister Parvesh Verma recently clarified that the barrage, which was once used to supply water to the now-defunct Indraprastha and Rajghat power stations, will remain active. “The barrage will not be decommissioned as all of its gates are fully functional and there is no obstruction in the water flow at all,” he said. He added, “The barrage may be used in future plans where water diversion may be required.”

Built in the 1960s by the Punjab government, the ITO barrage became Haryana’s responsibility after the state was formed in 1966. Its maintenance was linked to the power plants, but after their closure in 2009 and 2015, Haryana had argued that Delhi was no longer paying upkeep charges. The handover also follows the city’s flood crisis in 2023, when five of the barrage’s 32 gates jammed due to silt buildup, worsening inundation across the Capital. At that time, Delhi had to seek help from army and navy divers to restore water flow.

In addition, Delhi and Haryana agreed that the Capital will now maintain its portion of the Munak canal.