Delhi to urge Haryana govt to handover ITO barrage control on Yamuna river

PTC News Desk: The Delhi government will formally request the Haryana government to hand over the control of ITO barrage on the Yamuna river in a bid to strengthen flood management in national capital. 

Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Verma confirmed the decision, pointing to last year’s flood crisis, where malfunctioning gates at the barrage worsened flooding in central Delhi. Officials noted that the barrage has the capacity to release three lakh cusecs of water at once, which is adequate for current flood control needs.

“The ITO barrage is vital to Delhi’s flood control. In 2023, its malfunctioning gates worsened the crisis. While repairs have been made, Delhi needs full control to act swiftly in emergencies. We will formally request the Haryana government to hand it over. I’ll take up this matter personally to ensure Delhi’s safety is not compromised,” Verma added. 

During the 2023 floods, five of the 32 gates were jammed, leading to delays in managing the situation. At the time, then Flood Control Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the Delhi government was unaware that the barrage was under Haryana’s jurisdiction and alleged it hadn’t been cleaned in decades.

Officials also confirmed that Delhi had previously sought control of the barrage, but no consensus was reached. Although the barrage is located within Delhi, it is one of six on the Yamuna River, with operational control divided among states: the ITO barrage is managed by Haryana, Wazirabad by Delhi, and Okhla by the Uttar Pradesh government.

The Yamuna runs through Delhi for 48 kilometers, including a crucial 22-kilometer stretch between Wazirabad and Okhla, where the three barrages are key to regulating water flow and managing floods.