L-G writes to CM over govt lapses on floods

New Delhi: Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal regarding the recent floods witnessed by the Capital, listing down possible reasons in the face of Yamuna rising above the danger level.

Based on expert analysis, Saxena highlighted lapses on the Delhi government’s part, saying that the Departments worked unprofessionally by not clearing the waste, including Construction and Demolition (C&D), from the bridge that was obstructing the river’s water flow.

Delhi Jal Board’s (DJB) discharge computing table had outdated and inaccurate discharge computation at the Wazirabad Barrage.

Pointing out the man-made obstructions, including the 18 major blocks from Wazirabad to Okhla inside the Yamuna, the L-G mentioned that it had reduced the water flow’s velocity, keeping it within the city limits for approximately six hours. The lack of desilting and dredging in Yamuna over several years had also caused the accumulation of silt in the river, contributing to the overall catastrophe.

“The DJB had laid a water pipeline across the mouth of drain no. 12 opposite the WHO Building and, in the process, demolished the existing Bund over there”, said the letter, adding that it had not been repaired, resulting in river water collapsing the Regulator No. 12 at the mouth of the Drain and flooding WHO, ITO and even the Supreme Court.

Mentioning that there was not a single department or agency that had ownership of Yamuna during the floods, the L-G also suggested some measures, including assigning permanent ownership of Yamuna river to a single reporter, on the lines of Delhi Development Authority being the exclusive owner of the river’s floodplain, putting all other departments as ‘adjuncts with specific responsibilities’.

“There is an urgent requirement of a coordinated action plan by CPWD and PWD to ensure hassle-free drainage from Rajghat and Samadhi Complex”, he said.