Embankment at breached Indraprastha water regulator sealed: Delhi L-G

The Army has sealed the breached embankment at the Indraprastha regulator to prevent floodwater from entering Delhi, the Lt Governor's Office said on Friday.

The breach was sealed by Army personnel and workers, Lt Governor VK Saxena's office said in a midnight tweet.

"My heartfelt gratitude to our ordinary workmen and jawans and officers of the Indian Army for their untiring efforts in sealing the bund breach on the Yamuna, opposite WHO building and opening the gates at ITO barrage in Delhi," Saxena said in the tweet.

He also saluted the labourers and the soldiers and officers of the Indian Army.

It was due to their tireless effort that the embankment near the WHO Building could be sealed and the silt-jammed gate at the ITO barrage opened, Saxena said.

"Pray to God that there should be continuous improvement in the flood situation," he said in another tweet in Hindi.

According to officials, with the breach now sealed, the flow of the Yamuna will be regulated with pumps being pushed into service to flush out the water. The work on repairing the regulator will now be started.

Earlier in the evening, the Lt Governor's Office had said the work was expected to be completed later in the night.

The Army has completed clearing of silt and sludge that had jammed five gates of the ITO barrage, a statement from Saxena's office had said.

Saxena and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had inspected the repair work at the site of the breach that inundated parts of the Ring Road and ITO with floodwater reaching close to the Supreme Court complex.

The Engineering Corp of the Indian Army with three officers, six JCOs and 45 jawans, and workers completed about 80 per cent of the work on the embankment. The breach led to river water gushing into Drain No-12 and damaging its regulator, the L-G Office had said.

With Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and personnel of the Flood Control department and Delhi Jal Board of the Delhi government deployed to stop floodwater from entering the city through the breach, both Saxena and Kejriwal hoped the situation would be under control soon.

The flow of water from the Yamuna was so strong that it breached the regulator and entered the city. The water level in the Yamuna is receding but this damaged regulator is causing waterlogging at ITO and in nearby areas, Kejriwal had told PTI Video.

"Labourers and engineers worked overnight to create a mud wall to stop the water (from entering the city). The Army and the NDRF have also joined the operation. I believe we will be able to stop the water in the next three-four hours," he had said.

The chief minister had said the water level in the Yamuna has started receding. He had said Rajghat has been flooded due to the backflow of a drain in the area.

Floodwater reached the entrance of the Supreme Court in central Delhi on Friday after the regulator at Indraprastha suffered damage on Thursday evening.

Speaking to reporters after inspecting the regulator, Saxena said, "Army, NDRF, irrigation department and Jal Board are working together and I am hopeful of some positive results in the next four-five hours."

He had said efforts were being made by the Army to prevent flood water from entering the city by using sandbags, braces and stone boulders.

The Lt Governor had visited the regulator site again for an update.

Commuters faced a harrowing time as traffic was diverted due to waterlogging at the ITO road, a key stretch connecting east Delhi to Lutyens' Delhi. Some were seen dragging their vehicles on the waterlogged road.