Govt better prepared to prevent flood-like situation this year: CM

With the monsoon approaching, the Delhi Government under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has initiated comprehensive preparations to prevent waterlogging and manage flood-like situations in the national capital.

CM Gupta chaired a crucial meeting of the Apex Committee on Flood Control at the Delhi Secretariat on Wednesday. The meeting aimed to review the city’s preparedness and formally launch the Flood Control Order 2025, a detailed action manual for civic and disaster response agencies.

The meeting was attended by Cabinet Ministers Pravesh Verma and Ashish Sood, MPs Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Yogendra Chandolia and Bansuri Swaraj, MLAs Jitender Mahajan, Manoj Kumar Shokeen, Anil Kumar Sharma and Shikha Roy. Senior officials from departments such as PWD, MCD, DJB, DDA and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department were also present.

Recalling the unprecedented floods in August-September 2023, when the Yamuna rose to 208.6 meters and submerged several localities, CM Rekha Gupta said this year, her government is fully alert and better prepared.

CM Gupta highlighted that unlike previous years, when even barrage gates failed to open due to poor maintenance, all major flood-control infrastructure had now been repaired and tested. Nearly 20 lakh metric tonnes of silt had already been removed from key drains and around 80-90 per cent of desilting work was complete, with the rest progressing steadily.

The Flood Control Order 2025 released at the meeting provides clear guidelines on drainage management, river embankment protocols, pumping station operations, emergency contacts and evacuation plans. The CM announced the formation of sector committees under Cabinet Ministers, each supported by 3-4 District Magistrates, to manage operations at the zonal level.

A central flood control room will become operational from June 15 at the office of the DM (East). This 24x7 coordination hub will include representatives from all civic bodies and will be supported by 15 wireless monitoring stations to track water levels in the Yamuna and other flood-prone areas.

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has also activated its sewer overflow control room for round-the-clock handling of complaints. Residents can report issues via toll-free numbers (1916, 1800-11-7118), WhatsApp or email. Eleven quick response centres have been set up with engineers, staff, vehicles and sewer-cleaning machines to resolve local issues promptly.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is undertaking an extensive drain-cleaning campaign and has removed over 1.45 lakh metric tonnes of silt from major drains. Seventy-nine permanent and 465 temporary pumps are ready to address waterlogging. Zonal and central control rooms are operational and equipped with portable pumps, trucks, and manpower to ensure immediate action.

The PWD has installed 749 pumps across 153 pump houses, many of which are fully automated. In addition to permanent infrastructure, the PWD will deploy mobile pumps and monitor vulnerable areas using CCTV cameras. Helpline numbers 011-23490323 and 8130188222 and toll-free number 1908 have been issued for public complaints.

The Irrigation and Flood Control Department is also on alert, with 204 pumps, including 56 mobile units, ready for deployment. Drain desilting is ongoing across 419 km of channels. Officials will conduct round-the-clock patrols, and all flood-control regulators and gates are being serviced to ensure functionality. Boats and motor engines are also being prepared for emergencies.

CM Rekha Gupta directed all departments to ensure the readiness of flood-relief equipment, deploy mobile units where necessary and stay on standby to evacuate people from low-lying areas, if the Yamuna crosses the warning level of 204.5 meters.

She assured that boats would be stationed at 14 key locations for rescue operations, and every effort would be made to prevent traffic disruption and damage to property.