New Delhi: The state govt is monitoring the flood situation in Delhi round the clock, deploying additional resources for assistance and establishing a direct communication channel with Haryana to monitor water flow in the Yamuna. Over 5.6 lakh sandbags, 58 boats and 82 mobile pumps have been deployed and officials of the irrigation and flood control department (IFC) stationed at vulnerable sites.Minister Parvesh Verma stated that the water discharges from the barrages at Hathnikund, Wazirabad and Okhla are being tracked hourly. In meetings with district magistrates on Tuesday, Verma ordered contingency evacuation measures for the flood-prone Najafgarh basin. Delhi Jal Board is working in coordination with the Central Water Commission, Haryana govt and IFC to manage the river flow.
Chief minister Rekha Gupta inspected the flood relief camps set up at the Geeta Colony Flyover and the Old Iron Bridge. She met the families staying in the camps, listened to their concerns and assured them of all possible assistance. She reassured all citizens that there was no need to panic.IFC has put on special duty two chief engineers, five superintending engineers and 20 executive engineers. All assistant engineers and junior engineers have also been given responsibilities. “The officers have been instructed to remain at their respective post sites and remain available round-the-clock to handle emergencies,” said Verma.Among the resources pre-positioned for tackling flooding are 5,67,200 sandbags, 14,370 bamboo poles, 58 boats, 675 life jackets and 24 power generators. An information channel has been established among IFC, DJB, CWC and Haryana govt to ensure timely alerts and swift action in case of excess water discharge and flow. “I am personally reviewing coordination with DJB, CWC and Haryana govt,” said the minister.Verma instructed the district magistrate of South-West district to pay special attention to water levels and drainage in the Najafgarh Basin area, which is vulnerable to submerging in heavy rains. He directed the local authorities to maintain constant patrolling, provide real-time updates and prepare contingency evacuation plans for the basin and surrounding low-lying areas.CM assured that the flood situation was under control. She claimed that by the time the excess water released from Hathnikund Barrage reached Delhi on Tuesday evening, extensive preparations would already have been made to assist anyone affected by flooding.Gupta held telephonic conversations with her counterparts from Kashmir Omar Abdullah, Himachal Pradesh Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami, Punjab Bhagwant Mann and Haryana Nayab Singh Saini. During the discussions, she expressed deep concern at the disruption to life caused by severe flooding in these states.
