Delhi: ‘Army to complete repair of damaged regulator near ITO by midnight’

New Delhi, July 14 (IANS) The repair of the damaged water regulator near Delhi’s busiest section of ITO, which led to Yamuna river flood water entering several areas of the national capital will be completed by midnight, officials said on Friday.

The restoration work of the regulator started on Friday morning by the Engineering Core of the Indian Army with three officers, six JCOs and 45 jawans, apart from other workmen.

Delhi Lt Governor V.K Saxena visited the regulator number 12 in front of WHO office on Friday evening to take stock of the progress of restoration work.

Raj Niwas officials said that the Army has completed about 80 per cent of the work on restoring the Bund, the breach of which had led to the river water gushing into the drain number 12 and damaging its regulator.

The regulator of the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department of Delhi government collapsed on Thursday evening. The collapse of the regulator led to flooding of Ring Road at WHO, ITO, IP Metro Station, IP Estate, and was fast moving towards Mathura Road and Supreme Court, the official said.

Officials said that the regulator was already in a state of disrepair and could not withhold the pressure of the water flowing from the river and gave in, leading to back flow from the river at an alarming rate.

“This work is likely to be completed by midnight today, where after works of restoring the regulator at the mouth of the drain will commence. In a positive and encouraging development, water that was flowing into the drain from the river, has already begun to take the opposite course slowly. Once the Bund is sealed, pumps will start pumping the overflowing water from the drain into the river,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the official also said that another unit of the Indian Army deployed since morning has also been successful in clearing the silt and sludge that had jammed the five gates of ITO Barrage and prevented their opening.

“It is expected that these gates will now be hydraulically opened rather than cutting through them, as the Army was initially planning,” the official said.

Saxena following a conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday night and subsequent telecon with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday morning had been in touch with heads of the Engineering Core and NDRF since 7.30 a.m.

The official said that the contingent of the Army Engineering Core arrived on the site of the collapsed regulator at 8.30 a.m. and operations began around 10.30 a.m. when Saxena arrived. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal arrived thereafter at around 11 a.m.

The official said that Saxena stayed at the site till 3.30 p.m. and thereafter, again reached the site at 6.30 p.m. and is still present at the site to oversee the works and encourage the workmen.

The official said that the Lt Governor had lunch with the workmen on site earlier in the day.

Saxena then also visited the inundated slum colony, Anna Nagar, beside the WHO Building to take stock of the situation, in the afternoon.

The official said that the Lt Governor is expected to be present at the site till the work of sealing the breach in the Bund is completed.