Delhi will not witness flood-like situation this year: CM Rekha Gupta

New Delhi, Jun 11 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday assured people that the city will not witness any flood-like situation this year as her government was fully prepared for the monsoon season.

Gupta on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the apex committee on flood control at the secretariat to review the city's preparedness ahead of the rainy season.

She also issued the 'Flood Control Order 2025', directing departments to be prepared for any flood-like situation in the national capital, a statement said.

The document carries details of each department's responsibilities, emergency contact points, and disaster management protocols.

After the meeting, Gupta said that every year, Delhi residents suffer due to floods and waterlogging. She recalled how in August and September 2023, Delhi saw unprecedented flooding when the Yamuna River rose to 208.6 metres, submerging many residential areas.

She said nodal officers have been deployed in major flood-prone areas and key drains are being desilted, the statement said.

Gupta claimed that the previous governments never took flood control seriously and pointed out how, in 2023, the gates of the barrage couldn't even be opened as a consequence.

"In contrast, this year all major barrages have undergone large-scale repairs and maintenance, and nearly 20 lakh metric tonnes of silt have been removed from major drains. Around 80-90 per cent of desilting work by MCD and PWD is complete, and the rest is ongoing," she said.

Hitting back at Gupta over her claim on barrage gates not being opened, the AAP said she "truly represents 'Phulera ki Panchayat', as she lacks even basic knowledge about the ITO barrage".

"The barrage is maintained by the BJP-ruled Haryana government. In 2023, they had to suspend their chief engineer for failing to maintain the barrage gates. In 2024, the AAP government ensured that the Haryana government properly maintained the gates. The same was done in 2025," the party said in a statement.

The AAP claimed that in 2023, the BJP and the Lieutenant Governor refused to acknowledge that the ITO barrage was the primary cause of flooding in Delhi.

"It is good that, at the very least, the BJP has now accepted that the ITO barrage gates were indeed the main cause of the 2023 floods," the party said.

Revealing the details of the Flood Control Order, the chief minister said it carries guidelines for drainage systems, river embankments, pumping stations, operational plans, equipment details, and emergency contact numbers.

She said committees headed by Cabinet ministers Parvesh Sahib Singh, Ashish Sood, and Manjinder Singh Sirsa have been formed. Each committee would comprise three to four district magistrates with the responsibility to manage floods, the statement said.

A Central Flood Control Room will start operating from June 15, while 15 wireless stations, including the central control room, will monitor the Yamuna water level and other vulnerable areas constantly, it said.

If the Yamuna crosses the warning level of 204.5 metres during the monsoon, residents in low-lying areas will be shifted to safer locations and boats will be stationed at 14 key points for rescue operations, the statement quoted Gupta as saying.

The Irrigation and Flood Control Department has been instructed to keep all regulators fully functional, the statement added. PTI