Delhi govt to engage IIT-Delhi for study on building flood-protection wall along Yamuna

New Delhi: Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh has said that Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi will be roped in to carry out a study for the construction of a new flood protection wall along a 4-km stretch of the Yamuna. Works on building the flood protection wall along the Yamuna to protect flood-prone areas will be taken up next year after a detailed study, officials said on Wednesday.

"For now, we will repair the existing wall along the Yamuna River to protect vulnerable areas, including Yamuna Bazar. The new project will be taken up next year after a detailed study by IIT Delhi," Singh said.

The Yamuna Bazar area near Kashmere Gate has been identified by the authorities as one of the top waterlogging hotspots in the city. "In 2023, despite the protection wall, inundation reached 8 to 10 feet in the area, due to which evacuation was arranged; it is the first area to get flooded during the high tide of the Yamuna in the monsoon season," the minister added.

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From the devastating floods of 1978 to more recent episodes in 2023 and 2025, this stretch has remained particularly exposed. According to the plan, a 4.72-kilometre-long wall will be built from Majnu Ka Tila to the Old Railway Bridge, with a target to complete the project before the next monsoon season. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has said the decision, formally cleared as part of the budget, is rooted in the city's repeated experience with severe flooding.

The wall is expected to provide a strong layer of protection to vulnerable localities such as Civil Lines, Kashmere Gate, Yamuna Bazaar and Majnu Ka Tila areas that have historically faced the worst impact whenever water levels rise. In August 2024, a report of the Joint Flood Committee (JFC) had identified the construction of a flood protection wall along this stretch of the Ring Road as the most viable long-term solution.