Days after L-G Saxena's flagging, Delhi govt issues this year's Flood Control Order

New Delhi: The Delhi government has issued the Flood Control Order for this year, days after Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena flagged that it had not been issued.

After Delhi was hit by incessant rains on Friday, leading to waterlogging and loss of lives, Saxena had said it is shocking that the Flood Control Order and de-silting of drains that should have been issued and completed by June 15 were pending.

"The Flood Control Order, normally issued after the Apex Committee meeting chaired by the Hon'ble chief minister, is pending with the Hon'ble minister," he had said.

The government has issued the Flood Control Order, which says a Central Flood Control Room has been set up and it will continue to be functional till October 15 or till the withdrawal of monsoon, whichever comes later.

The flood control room will receive flood warnings and other related information and submit flood-situation reports to the LG, chief minister, minister of irrigation and flood control (I&FC), chief secretary, divisional commissioner and secretary (I&FC) every evening. It will also issue necessary flood warnings and directions for evacuation and arrange relief supplies.

A number of regional posts of the flood control department will be set up at 16 important locations along the Yamuna river, the Najafgarh drain, the supplementary drain, the Jahangir Puri drain and the Chilla regulator on the Shahdara Outfall drain to monitor the flood situation or drainage congestion and handle any eventuality, the order said.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will also set up control rooms to receive complaints and take appropriate remedial action in case of drainage congestion on account of heavy rains, the order said, adding that these control rooms will remain in constant touch with the Central Flood Control Room.

The order said each of the 11 revenue districts in Delhi will have a sector committee headed by a sector officer. These committees will have nominated members from 13 stakeholder departments, including I&FC, MCD, NDMC, health and education departments.

The work of each sector committee will be overseen by a cabinet minister.

Three ministers -- I&FC Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, PWD Minister Atishi and Environment Minister Gopal Rai -- will oversee these sector committees, the order said.

The sector committees shall draw an action plan for setting up the sector control rooms, earmarking stores and relief materials and preparing and maintaining a list of vulnerable areas in the sectors and the arrangements needed for meeting any eventuality.

The sector committees will also obtain data regarding the status of the flood control work and that of roads, particularly in vulnerable areas.

"In the event of evacuation, relief camps would be set up under the supervision of the sector officer concerned at an appropriate place, identified in advance," the order read.

It also listed out the issues that arose last year when Delhi battled one of its worst floods.

"The peak flood days being working days, the movement of general public, including students going to school/university resulted in heavy traffic jam and hindered the movement of essential supply/emergency vehicles of line departments.

"Coordination among different agencies and with neighbouring states was lacking. Unwillingness and reluctance of people living in flooded areas to leave their habitations in spite of 'munadis' (public announcements) and warnings given to them," it said.

Delhi battled one of its worst flood-like situations in several pockets last year because of heavy rain, with more than 25,000 people evacuated from the inundated areas.