Haryana To Hand Over ITO Barrage: Delhi Steps Up Yamuna Flood Management

The Haryana government has given in-principle approval for the Delhi government to take over the ITO barrage, senior officials confirmed Monday.

The move is aimed at improving the city's control over Yamuna water flow and boosting its preparedness for potential flooding.

The ITO barrage, also called the Indraprastha barrage, came under the spotlight during the July 2023 floods, when five of its 32 gates jammed, leading to rising water levels in East Delhi. 

Senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj had then blamed the incident on poor maintenance, saying, "Since the ITO barrage is managed by the Haryana government, which admitted that the barrage was not maintained, five gates were not opened. This led to a rise in the Yamuna's water levels and the breach in the regulator, which caused the flooding."

Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma said a recent joint meeting with Haryana officials resulted in an agreement for the handover. 

"They have provided in-principle approval for handing over the ITO barrage. The Delhi portion of the Munak canal will also be maintained by the Delhi government," he said, adding that the barrage will remain fully operational. "All of its gates are functional and there is no obstruction in water flow. The barrage may serve future water diversion plans if required," Mr Verma added.

Constructed in the 1960s by the Punjab Irrigation Department, the ITO barrage originally supplied water to Delhi's Indraprastha and Rajghat thermal power stations, both of which have been decommissioned since 2009 and 2015, respectively. Over time, the barrage's operation and maintenance were assigned to the Haryana Irrigation Department.

The 22-km stretch of the Yamuna between Wazirabad and Okhla contains three barrages, each managed by different states despite lying within Delhi. While Wazirabad barrage is maintained by Delhi and supports water supply to treatment plants like Wazirabad and Chandrawal, ITO was under Haryana, and Okhla barrage is managed by Uttar Pradesh.

Officials said that during the 2023 floods, heavy silt accumulation and inadequate maintenance caused five ITO gates to jam, restricting downstream water flow. "The Delhi government had to seek assistance from Army and Navy divers to open the gates," they said, underscoring operational challenges faced by the city.

With the upcoming handover, Delhi will now control two of the three barrages on this stretch of the Yamuna, allowing better regulation of river flow and enhancing flood management capabilities for the capital.