Breach in Munak Canal’s sub-branch inundates North Delhi’s Bawana area, normal life disrupted

New Delhi, July 11

A breach occurred in the embankment of a sub-branch of the Munak Canal leading to significant flooding in the Bawana area of North Delhi, in the early hours on Thursday.

Streets and houses, including the JJ clusters, were inundated with water due to the water breach. The Munak Canal, which carries water from Haryana to Delhi, saw water flowing out from the breached point, causing massive waterlogging and disrupting residents’ lives.

Delhi Minister Atishi visited the site to assess the situation. At a digital press conference, the minister said the breach happened between 12 midnight and 2 am on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.

Personally reached the spot: BJP leaders

• Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva and MP Yogendra Chandolia coordinated relief efforts to mitigate the flooding on Thursday. “After receiving calls that water had entered the JJ Colony in Bawana and was rising rapidly, we took immediate action,” said Chandolia. “I informed state BJP president and personally visited the affected area with officials and residents.”
• Chandolia, accompanied by former Bawana Municipal Councillor Brahma Prakash and several other officials, identified a breach in the dam near the Munak Canal. He then travelled to Garhi Bindroli village in Haryana, where the water supply from the Munak Canal was temporarily halted to stop flooding in Delhi.
• “The water entering Delhi’s Munak Canal was diverted into the Yamuna to quickly drain the water that had inundated the JJ Colonies,” Chandolia explained. “An area of 7 km was affected by this severe waterlogging.” TNS

“The Munak Canal is maintained by the Haryana Irrigation Department. Their team is present at the site since last night, along with a team of the Delhi Jal Board,” she said.

Atishi added that the water flow to the affected branch had been diverted and repair work had commenced. Multiple agencies, including the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and Public Works Department (PWD) are working to pump out the water and restore normalcy. Water Minister Atishi said that due to the embankment breaking, the production at Delhi’s Haiderpur, Bawana, Dwarka, and Nangloi water treatment plants was affected and water supply was affected in many areas.

Electricity in the area was cut off due to electrocution risks which would be restored once the water receded.

The Delhi government is coordinating with the Haryana government to expedite the repairs which are expected to restore water flow to the canal by Friday morning.

The Dwarka water treatment plant (WTP) is anticipated to resume operations by Friday evening, restoring normal water supply to the affected areas.

Atishi mentioned that an inquiry would be conducted to determine the cause of the breach and investigate any potential foul play.

In the meantime, videos surfaced on social media showing children playing in the flooded areas, while others struggled to navigate through knee-deep water to reach their workplaces.

Meanwhile, Delhi Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena sought information from Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar regarding the breach in the sub-branch of the Munak Canal. “LG had earlier flagged the matter of repair and maintenance of Munak Canal, while AAP was busy playing politics over water crisis in June. Today also the Minister incharge of Flood Control is busy in politics while slums and other residential areas in Bawana are flooded,” Raj Niwas officials said.

The CEO of the DJB, along with a team of engineers, should visit the site and coordinate with Haryana authorities for swift restoration, Saxena directed.

He asked the disaster management cell of the Revenue Department to offer relief as per norms, and the area District Magistrate to deploy executive magistrates to coordinate operations.

Govt failed to act on time: Congress

DPCC president Devender Yadav has urged the Delhi Government to promptly address the breach in the Munak Canal that has caused severe flooding in the JJ Colony area of Bawana. “According to local residents, water leakage at the Munak Canal was noticed last week, but the Delhi Jal Board did not take timely action to repair the damage, leading to this major breach,” Yadav said. “The Delhi Government must act swiftly to prevent another water crisis and compensate those who have suffered losses,” he said.