Interview
Shiv Singh Rawat
Amid the blame game between the Haryana and the Delhi governments over release of water from the Hathnikund barrage causing flooding in the national capital and the dysfunctional ITO barrage, Shiv Singh Rawat, former Superintending Engineer in Haryana’s Irrigation and Water Resources Department (I&WRD), weighs in to help understand the working of barrages and what could have prevented the flooding. Edited excerpts:
Could Haryana not release the water into two canals at Hathnikund barrage to prevent flooding in Delhi?
Yamuna water is allocated to Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan as per an MoU dated May 12, 1994. At Hathnikund barrage, there is the Yamuna, the Western Yamuna Canal (WYC) and the Eastern Yamuna Canal (EYC). The WYC takes Yamuna water to Haryana for irrigation and to Delhi for drinking. Its capacity is 20,000 cubic feet per second (CFS). The EYC caters to U.P. with a capacity of 7,000 CFS.
The combined capacity of the canals is 7% of Yamuna’s peak water flow of 3,60,000 CFS on July 11 that passed on to the downstream river system at the HKB. Even if the gates of both the canals were opened, about 3,33,000 CFS water in Yamuna would have passed on to Delhi.
Would it have reduced the flooding had the gates been opened?
Yamuna water inflow at the HKB is regulated as per the Central Water Commission’s guidelines. If Yamuna inflows at the HKB are less than 1 lakh CFS (earlier limit of 70,000 CFS was revised by CWC in May 2023), then water is diverted to the canals and the remaining is passed into the downstream river system. If the inflow is more than that, the extra water cannot be diverted to the canals as silt can block the canals and large rolling stones can damage their lining.
Accordingly, all inflows into the Yamuna at the HKB are passed on downstream. The floodwater passes through many districts of Haryana before reaching Delhi. So, Haryana faced flooding in these districts.
Why can’t the Haryana government store water at the HKB?
We have a barrage at Hathnikund and not a dam. A barrage regulates the diversion of river water as per demands in canals. A dam collects water, especially to make a reservoir. The HKB’s main function is to divert Yamuna’s water to the canals.
What caused the flooding in Delhi?
Heavy rainfall in a short span in the Yamuna’s upstream catchment resulted in floods in north India. But Delhi was flooded also because of land grabbing and illegal mining in the flood zones by the mafia, who have encroached on the Yamuna’s original path. It has reduced the flow area and increased water levels to record highs.
The highest level was 208.66 metres at the Old Railway Bridge on July 13, crossing the previous all-time high of 207.49 metres in 1978. It caused back flows in the drainage system and resulted in waterlogging and flooding.
Who is responsible for non-maintenance of gates at the ITO barrage?
The ITO barrage was constructed in late 1960s as a deposit work of Delhi Electric Supply Undertaking to supply water to Rajghat Thermal Plant and Indraprastha Power Generation Company Ltd (IPGCL) for generation of electricity. The Delhi government paid Haryana’s irrigation department for its maintenance. However, as both plants are shut since 2019, IPGCL is not paying the maintenance charges. The barrage’s power connection was also disconnected. Since both power plants are shut, it is suggested that all 32 gates of the ITO barrage may be removed to allow free flow of Yamuna.
