Just as the heatwave got off the backs of the people of Delhi, they are faced with yet another case of extremities. This time, people in several areas in Delhi were left neck deep in water after just hours of a downpour.
An Indian Express report said that a wall breach and water back-flow at the Barapullah drain, an important water basin in the capital, are being blamed for the flooding in many areas of South, South East, and New Delhi.
According to a senior PWD official, about 80% of the city’s drainage network desilting under the agency was completed in the first phase. However, the overflow of the Barapullah drain nullified these efforts. “Drain water goes into this basin and is released into the Yamuna. But after the downpour, the water level at Barapullah spiked which led to back-flow and triggered heavy waterlogging,” the official said.
200 water-logging cases registered
The PWD has received about 200 water-logging complaints. Seventy of these came from areas such as Lajpat Nagar, Jangpura, Moolchand, C R Park, AIIMS, Bhikaji Cama Place, R K Puram, Chirag Dilli, Dhaula Kuan, Naraina, and Rajendra Place, among others.
An official stated that the problem worsened due to a wall breach caused by heavy rain at a site where a bund was being constructed.
PWD Minister Atishi addressed the ongoing issue and said that a lot of water had overflowed through the drain and that one of its walls was breached. She further said that all the stakeholders involved are working on it together. “This time, it is not one department versus the other like the MCD versus the Delhi government. Wherever one department can help, they put their resources and manpower to work. The wall that has been breached…is undergoing bunding work,” she said.
Atishi also said that once the bundling work is over, the concern of the overflow at the drain will be resolved.
The IE reported that a drain connecting Central Delhi, ITO, and the WHO building, which flows into the Yamuna, overflowed for several hours. This caused delays in clearing water from ITO and the Minto Bridge.
“Because even when water is being pumped out, it goes into drains. If the drains are overflowing, the water can’t be drained out easily. When the rains stopped and the drain water settled, the water level decreased over time across Delhi,” Atishi said.
Due to the wall breach at Barapullah and the high volume of water, South Delhi areas like Mathura Road, Jangpura, and Sunlight Colony experienced prolonged issues. However, temporary motors were installed to drain water in various colonies, she added.