New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS): Amid the ongoing tussle between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lt Governor V.K. Saxena, the L-G has written a letter to CM Kejriwal, listing all the major factors that caused massive floods in Delhi. 

The L-G in his letter said that based on analysis done by experts and officers of the concerned agencies, the lapses on part of the government were highlighted.

The L-G pointed out the "outdated and inaccurate level-based discharge computing table held by DJB to compute the discharge at Wazirabad Barrage".

In his letter addressed to Kejriwal, the L-G wrote: "The highest recorded discharge of 8.28 lakh cusec from Hathni Kund was in 2019, which resulted in the water level in Yamuna at the Old Railway Bridge (ORB) touching the 206.6-meter mark, whereas, the discharge this year was only 3.59 lakh cusec, yet the Yamuna level reached the record level of 208.66 meter at the ORB. Out of the 44 km of Yamuna in Delhi, the 22 km stretch from Wazirabad to Okhla has 18 major obstructions inside Yamuna, resulting in impeding the free flow of water."

The letter reads that heavy accumulation of silt in Yamuna over the last several years has reduced the water holding capacity by 93 per cent which resulted in abnormal rise of water level during the peak discharge.

The L-G's letter further read: "Assign permanent ownership of Yamuna river stream, to one department, on the lines of DDA being the exclusive owner of the Yamuna floodplain, and put all other stakeholder departments as adjuncts tasked with specific responsibilities."

In different 11 points, the L-G suggested handing over all the pumping installations at regulator locations to a single department to enhance operational and maintenance efficiency.

"The hydrographic profile of Yamuna in terms of width, depth and height be ascertained and sustainable desilting/ dredging, pending since the last 10 years, be undertaken, at the earliest. And an advance flood management plan for Yamuna Bazar and other low-lying areas be put in place," the L-G suggested.