24/7 Army and Navy Operations to Curb Yamuna Flooding in Delhi

New Delhi Latest Updates: The Indian Army and Navy are playing a vital role in resolving the flooding crisis in Delhi. The damage to a drain regulator and jammed sluice gates at a barrage in the busiest traffic intersection of the capital city caused Yamuna water to overflow onto the roads. Upon the Delhi administration's request, the Indian Army promptly intervened when the Yamuna river exceeded the danger mark and low-lying areas began to get flooded.

To address the situation, Delhi Chief Secretary and Army authorities held discussions to determine the necessary intervention by the Army. One team of Army engineers was assigned the task of removing the obstruction above the sluice gates at the ITO bridge barrage. Throughout the night, the team diligently worked and successfully completed the task on one of the gates by morning. They also remained on standby to assist in opening the jammed gates.

In the early hours of July 14, an additional team was urgently required near the WHO building in Delhi, where the city was being flooded by the backflow of water from the Yamuna river. The surge of water had caused damage to the regulator door. 

After assessing the situation, the engineer team from the Army took action by constructing a temporary barrier to redirect the water back to the Yamuna river. This effectively controlled the backflow of water into the city. The Army's engineer team remains deployed at the location, fully prepared to handle any further developments.

The Army was also called upon to restore water supply from the Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant. Due to the submerged pumps and the non-functional filtration plant caused by the flooding, water supply to the city had been disrupted. The Army is on standby and ready to restore operations at the plant as soon as the water level in the river recedes.

To enhance the available resources, two extra Army teams have been relocated from Meerut in the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh.

Yesterday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that the Indian Navy is providing assistance in unlocking the jammed gates of the ITO barrage. Out of the 32 gates, five were stuck. 

After continuous efforts for almost 20 hours, the first jammed gate of the barrage was successfully opened late last night, as shared by Mr. Kejriwal. A diving team used a compressor to remove the silt from under the water, and then a hydra crane was used to lift the gate.