New Delhi sees flooding after broken regulator causes river water to flow into city

Published July 14, 2023
Traffic moves through a flooded road, after a rise in the waters of river Yamuna due to heavy monsoon rains, in New Delhi, India, July 14, 2023. — Reuters
Traffic moves through a flooded road, after a rise in the waters of river Yamuna due to heavy monsoon rains, in New Delhi, India, July 14, 2023. — Reuters

Several areas of India’s capital New Delhi remained inundated on Friday after water from the Yamuna river, which runs through the city, flowed in through a broken drain regulator, authorities said.

Footage from news agency ANI showed roads surrounding the city’s iconic Red Fort completely flooded, with broken down trucks and buses abandoned at several spots, only their windshields and roofs visible above the water.

The state government said the regulator, located near the Indraprastha metro station, was in a state of “prolonged disrepair” and collapsed around 7pm (1330 GMT) on Thursday.

“The damage caused to the regulator has resulted in Yamuna flood water flowing towards the city as its backflow,” the government said in a statement, adding that work is underway to repair the breach.

Help is also being sought from the National Disaster Response Force and the army, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a Tweet.

Roads surrounding Rajghat — a memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi — were inundated, with water also flowing into the memorial area itself.

The city’s ITO area, which houses several private and government offices, including the headquarters of the Delhi Police, was also flooded.

Movement on the metro rail network was affected, with the service running up to 20 minutes slower, commuters said.

Opinion

Editorial

NAP revival
Updated 17 Mar, 2025

NAP revival

This bloody cycle of violence will continue unless action is complemented with social, economic, political efforts in Balochistan and KP.
New reality
17 Mar, 2025

New reality

THE US retreat from global climate finance commitments could not have come at a worse time. Pakistan faces an...
Killer traffic
17 Mar, 2025

Killer traffic

MYSTERIOUS and unstoppable. It is these words that perhaps best describe the recent surge in traffic-related...
After the review
Updated 16 Mar, 2025

After the review

Should prepare economy for durable growth by attracting foreign private investments to boost productivity and exports.
Embracing crypto
16 Mar, 2025

Embracing crypto

IT seems a little prod was all it took for Pakistan to finally ‘embrace the future’. The Pakistan Crypto Council...
Fault lines
16 Mar, 2025

Fault lines

IT was a distressing spectacle, though a sadly predictable one. As the National Assembly took up for discussion the...