Coming up, 4.7-km flood protection wall along Yamuna river - Delhi government on Friday cleared projects worth Rs 622 crore to strengthen capital's flood management and drainage infrastructure, including funds to build 4.7-km reinforced cement concrete wall along vulnerable stretch of Yamuna, as well as three biomining projects to scientifically dispose of silt removed from Delhi's drains. Decisions taken at 40th meeting of Flood Control Board, chaired by Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh at Delhi Secretariat.
Proposed RCC wall - around six to seven feet tall and estimated to cost Rs 99 crore - will run along Yamuna from Magazine Road drain to Old Railway Bridge. "The wall will protect low-lying areas during high water levels. During monsoon season, Yamuna river swells and reaches roads and houses," Singh said in statement.
Read more - Barapullah Blues
Board also gave in-principle approval to three biomining projects worth Rs 260 crore to address longstanding problem of disposing silt removed from Delhi's drains. Officials said desilted material, often left along drain banks or roadsides, subsequently washes back into drains during rainfall, reducing effectiveness of desilting operations. "The projects will especially benefit Najafgarh drain and other major drains, which carry heaviest silt load in city," Singh said. "Desilting means nothing if silt finds its way back into our drains. For years, this is exactly what happened. With biomining, we will dispose of silt scientifically and break that cycle once and for all," he added.
Further, Board discussed developing drain banks across Delhi along lines of Barapullah drain, with walkways, green belts, plantation, lighting and protective fencing.
Government said initiative aims to transform neglected spaces along drains into cleaner, more accessible public areas while addressing encroachment issues.
Read more - Pink Patrol
Analytically, 4.7 km wall is Band-Aid, not solution. Yamuna floodplain encroached, embankments built, natural flow blocked. 2023 floods showed wall cannot stop 3 lakh cusec discharge from Hathnikund barrage. Need floodplain zoning, not concrete wall. Biomining silt is good - Delhi drains carry 8,000 tonnes silt daily, dumping in Yamuna adds pollution. Rs 622 crore is less than Rs 1,000 crore industrial policy, but flood management needs Rs 5,000 crore for full Yamuna rejuvenation. For common Delhiite, wall may protect Magazine Road area but push water to other low-lying areas like Usmanpur.
Tags: #Yamuna #FloodWall #ParveshSahibSingh #Drainage #Biomining #DelhiFloods #NajafgarhDrain #FloodControlBoard #RCCWall