Wazirabad barrage


The Wazirabad barrage or Wazirabad bridge, built in 1959 is a 1,491 ft long weir across Yamuna River, in north Delhi. Downstream barrages in Delhi are ITO barrage and then Okhla barrage. It is under the management of Delhi govt, where as ITO barrage is managed by Haryana and Okhla barrage is managed by UP govt.

History

It was built in 1959 to supply drinking water to the city of Delhi.

Technical details

It is a 1,491 ft long barrage with 6 under-sluices of 60ft each on the right side and a 17 bays spillway of 58ft each. The top of the spillway is 4 ft. higher than the under-sluices. There is a concrete floor flexible apron, both upstream and down-stream.

Proposal for New Wazirabad barrage

A March 2013 proposal for Delhi envisages building a "New Wazirabad barrage" 8 km north of the current barrage, that will utilize the existing eastern and western boundary margins of the current barrage, will serve as the bridge over Yamuna and flanks will serve as road expressways.

Navigation restoration

This barrage on Yaumna is part of National Waterway NW110, one of India's 111 National Waterways. The barrage lies on the Delhi-Faridabad Yaumna waterway, from Wazirabad barrage in north Delhi to Palla barrage in north Faridabad via ITO barrage and Okhla barrage.

Bird Sanctuary

lies in the vicinity. The 51 km-long Najafgarh drain starts at Dhansa and joins the Yamuna river just downstream of Wazirabad barrage. Sanctuary has helped in the improvement in water quality, restoration of groundwater recharge and in providing wetland for the migratory birds.

Concerns

Yamuna, from its origin at Yamunotri in Himalayas to Wazirabad barrage, travels by carrying "reasonably good quality" water. Between Wazirabad and Okhla barrage, 15 drains discharge sewage rendering the water quality after Wazirabad barrage severely polluted with biochemical oxygen demand values ranging from 14 to 28 mg/l and high coliform content. Causes of pollution are municipal disposal sites, run-off from the commercial and industrial sites, soil erosion resulting from deforestation occurring to make way for agriculture along with resulting chemical wash-off from petrochemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.