CM issues Flood Control Order 2026, makes Nodal officers accountable for waterlogging

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday issued the Flood Control Order-2026 at a high-level apex committee meeting at the Delhi Secretariat. High-level sector committees have been constituted under Ministers Parvesh Sahib Singh, Ashish Sood, and Manjinder Singh Sirsa, each including three to four District Magistrates responsible for flood management and coordination in their areas.

The Chief Minister directed that a nodal officer be appointed for every identified waterlogging point in the city. She further warned that the concerned officer will be held directly accountable if waterlogging occurs in their designated area, with negligence of any kind during the monsoon season ruled out as acceptable.

The meeting was attended by MPs Yogender Chandolia, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, and Manoj Tiwari, Cabinet Ministers Parvesh Sahib Singh, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, and Ravinder Indraj Singh, MLAs Anil Sharma, Jitender Mahajan, and Shikha Roy, along with senior officials from the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, PWD, MCD, and Delhi Jal Board.

The Chief Minister said the Government’s objective is not merely to respond during disasters but to identify potential risks in advance and ensure preventive measures are in place. The Flood Control Order-2026 will serve as a guideline document for all departments, covering drainage systems, river embankments, pumping stations, regulatory mechanisms, operational plans, machinery deployment, and control room contact details.

She directed all departments to keep teams on alert and prepared for emergencies, with relief and rescue equipment inspected according to prescribed checklists, and adequate arrangements made for safe evacuation in the event of flooding. PWD and other departments were directed to inspect all permanent pump houses and deploy mobile pumps in waterlogging-prone areas.

Officials informed the meeting that the Central Flood Control Room has been functioning 24x7 since June 15.

The Irrigation and Flood Control Department reported that embankments and regulators along the Yamuna have been strengthened, and upgrades of major pump houses have been completed. A new digital system will provide real-time information on water released from the Hathnikund Barrage, water flow at Palla, and Yamuna water levels. The department has exceeded its desilting target, removing more than 30 lakh metric tonnes of silt from 77 drains, including 22 major drains, with remaining work continuing on a war footing.

The number of pumps has increased to more than 243, including permanent, mobile, and tractor-mounted units, compared to last year. Available boats have increased to 41, alongside 31 motorboat engines and 12 boat-carriage trolleys. Joint inspection committees have been formed with PWD and MCD to clear obstructions at junction points where drains maintained by different agencies meet.

MCD officials reported cleaning work on 793 drains deeper than four feet, with additional drains added to this year’s desilting programme.