New Delhi: On Monday, the Rajya Sabha was informed that the current drainage master plan for Delhi, which was prepared in 1976, is not sufficient to deal with "crisis situations."
The city of Delhi saw historic flooding and waterlogging last month. On July 8 and 9, the city received 125 percent of its monthly rainfall allotment in just two days, leading to severe waterlogging.
Subsequently, the Yamuna swelled to record levels as a result of severe rainfall in the river's higher catchment districts, which include Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana.
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri responded to a written question by saying, "The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) has informed that Drainage Master Plan for Delhi was prepared in 1976 and stated that the existing Drainage Master Plan is not adequate to deal with crisis situations in Delhi." Whether the current drainage master plan is sufficient to deal with crisis scenarios like the floods and waterlogging in the National Capital Territory of Delhi was the subject of a written question submitted by Rajya Sabha MP Mohammed Nadimul Haque.
According to Puri, the Delhi administration was also made aware of a 2018 proposal for a draught drainage master plan by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
The minister noted, "The GNCTD has stated that Delhi now needs a comprehensive new Drainage Master Plan," and added that the GNCTD had also notified him that certain low-lying regions have been identified.
The increasing urgency of this problem is underscored by the fact that climatic changes are already occurring, including more frequent and intense downpours.
Puri responded, "This requires concerted efforts on the part of all agencies concerned, including but not limited to the Public Works Department, GNCTD; the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, GNCTD; the Municipal Corporation of Delhi; the New Delhi Municipal Council; the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation; the Delhi Jal Board; the Delhi Cantonment Board; and the Delhi Development Authority."
On July 13, the Yamuna reached a new record height of 208.66 metres, breaking the previous record set in September 1978 at 207.49 metres. More than four decades had passed since it last made such a deep penetration into the city, but this time it was successful.
As a result of the floods, 27,000 people had to be relocated. Property, business, and income losses totaled in the hundreds of millions of rupees.
Encroachment on the floodplain, intense rainfall over a short period of time, and silt deposition that has risen the riverbed are what experts say caused the historic floods in Delhi.
The states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi are all included in Yamuna's catchment region.
Delhi's 41,000 or so riverside residents live in low-lying neighbourhoods that are at risk of flooding.—Inputs from Agencies
