The Centre has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the inaccurate flood forecast for Delhi in 2023 was primarily caused by congestion in the Yamuna River between Wazirabad and Okhla barrages.
This response comes after the NGT took suo- motu cognizance of a newspaper report and questioned the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) and the Central Water Commission (CWC) over the failure to predict the severe floods that affected Delhi in 2023.
Cause of flood 2023
In a devastating event, heavy rains led to severe flooding in several parts of Delhi, forcing the evacuation of over 25,000 residents from inundated areas. The MoJS and CWC, in their reply filed on January 4, explained that the unusually high discharge of water downstream from the Hathnikund Barrage contributed to the flooding. The water level near Delhi’s Railway Bridge (DRB) crossed previous high flow levels, reaching its peak of 208.66 meters by 6:00 pm on July 13, 2023.
The agencies further clarified that accurate flood forecasting requires the water channel to be in a “free flow state.” However, this condition was compromised due to several obstructions between Wazirabad and Okhla barrages, including the non-opening of gates at the ITO Barrage, the accumulation of silt islands, trees blocking the river’s course, and debris from ongoing bridge construction. These factors led to congestion, making it difficult for the flood forecasting system to produce accurate predictions.
A committee headed by the CWC chairperson has since recommended that the concerned departments in Delhi take corrective measures to prevent similar forecasting issues in the future.
(With PTI Inputs)