Delhi will not witness flooding this time, says Saurabh Bharadwaj

Delhi's Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday asserted the city would not get flooded this time because the Yamuna river will get a clear channel for its flow. Inspecting the ITO Barrage to take stock of the work to desilt the river, he said the Barrage is under the Haryana government's jurisdiction, and a flood happened in Delhi last year "due to blocking of its gates". "Pilot cuts have been made at the places of obstruction. As soon as water flows (with force) through the Yamuna, it will take away the obstructions. The Yamuna will get a clear channel. As the irrigation and flood control minister, I can say there won't be a flood this time," Bharadwaj asserted. Delhi battled one of its worst flood-like situations in several pockets last year because of heavy rain, with more than 25,000 people evacuated from the inundated areas.