How the 1978 flood led to Delhi strengthening its embankments

The flood in 1978 in Delhi, which left large parts of north, northwest, east, and southeast Delhi inundated, led to several changes in the city - the administration built higher embankments and additional bunds - which have since protected the Capital each time the water level in the Yamuna increased significantly.

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

700,000 cusec of water was released through the Hathnikund barrage in 1978 and the level of the Yamuna at the Old Railway Bridge rose to 207.49 metres. Widespread breaches were reported across the rural embankments, submerging around 43 square km of agricultural land under 2m of water. The river submerged residential areas such as Jahangirpuri, Azadpur, Model Town, Jamia Nagar, Okhla, Mukherjee Nagar, Civil Lines, New Friends Colony, and Maharani Bagh. The total damage to crops, houses, and public utilities was estimated at 17.6 crore.

With the water level in the Yamuna at an all-time high now, throwing normal life out of gear, officials who worked to restore normalcy in 1978 and present-day experts believe that the city might have to look at its existing embankments once again and strengthen them for the future.

Omesh Saigal, 82, the former Delhi chief secretary, who held the charge of secretary (finance) in 1978, said that even though embankments existed back then, they were not as robust as the ones at present and were breached at multiple points.