The Okhla barrage (Okhla Weir and Okhla bridge)[2] is a 791 meters[1] or roughly 800-yard long weir across Yamuna River opened in 1874. It also serves as the location of Okhla Bird Sanctuary today. It is situated 10 km to the south of New Delhi and downstream of Nizamuddin bridge at Okhla, where Agra canal originates from it.[3] The top of barrage also serves as the Delhi-Noida carriageway of Kalindi Kunj-Mithapur road.[4] Nearby later-era New Okhla Barrage is 554 meters long.[1]
| Okhla barrage | |
|---|---|
 Agra Canal headworks at Okhla (c. 1871) | |
  Location of Okhla barrage in Delhi  Okhla barrage (India) | |
| Country | India |
| Location | Okhla in Delhi |
| Coordinates | 28°33′54″N 77°18′11″E / 28.565°N 77.303°E |
| Status | Functional |
| Opening date | 1874 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Length | 791 m (2,595 ft)[1] |
It is under the management of the government of Uttar Pradesh.[5]
History
editThe barrage and Agra canal were opened in 1874 by the British Raj for the purpose of irrigation and water navigation from Delhi to Gurgaon, Mathura and Agra districts, and Bharatpur State. Navigation stopped in 1904.[6] It was built seven-feet higher than the summer level of the river.[6]
The Yamuna, from its origin at Yamunotri to Okhla barrage, is called Upper Yamuna which is managed by Upper Yamuna River Board created in 1995.[7][8] Yamuna flows for 48 km in Delhi, including 22 km from Wazirabad barrage where it enters Delhi to Okhla barrage after which it enters Haryana.[9][10][11] Upstream barrages in Delhi are Wazirabad barrage (north) and ITO barrage (center).[4][10][11][12]
A canal was built from Okhla barrage to Gurugram district (now Faridabad) during the 3rd Five-Year Plans of India (1961-66).[13] That canal now has a downstream Palla barrage in Faridabad.
Bird Sanctuary
edit
Okhla barrage now also serves as the location of Okhla Bird Sanctuary.[14][15][16][17] Downstream on Agra canal is also Keetham Lake National Bird Sanctuary.[18][19][20]
Preservation
editThe road over the barrage was shut for 45 days in September 2017, for repairs to 18 of its 27 water release gates, prior to the arrival of migratory birds in November.[4]
Navigation restoration
editThis barrage on Yamuna is part of National Waterway NW110, one of India's 111 National Waterways. Okhla barrage lies on the following two under-development waterways projects.[21][22]
- Delhi-Faridabad Yaumna waterway, from Wazirabad barrage in north Delhi to Palla barrage in north Faridabad via ITO barrage and Okhla barrage.[21]
- Delhi-Agra Yamuna canal waterway, from Okhla barrage to Agra via Agra Canal, steamer service is planned by the end of June 2017 with the help of Netherlands (c. Feb 2017).[22]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Regional plan
- ^ I. Mohan, 1992, Environment and Urban Development: A Critical Evaluation of Slums.
- ^ Agra Canal Modernization Project Archived 18 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c Okhla barrage to be shut at night for 45 days., Times of India, 20 Sept 2017.
- ^ Too many cooks spoil the broth , The Hindu, 29 March 2016.
- ^ a b Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press..
- ^ 2015, INDIA 2015, New Media Wing.
- ^ Upper Yamuna River Board Archived 17 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine Official website.
- ^ [spaenvis.nic.in/index1.aspx?lid=2284&mid=1&langid=1&linkid=550 YAMUNA FLOOD PLAIN - ENVIS Center on Human Settlement's] 30 June 2016.
- ^ a b Joginder Singh, 2010, India, Democracy and Disappointments, Page 504.
- ^ a b Sharad K. Jain, Pushpendra K. Agarwal, Vijay P. Singh, 2007, Hydrology and Water Resources of India, Page 348.
- ^ 1967, Annual Research Memoirs, - Central Water and Power Research Station (India)]
- ^ Milap Chand Dandia, 1976, Rajasthan Year-book & Who's who, Volume 14, Page 69.
- ^ "Petition to protect Okhla bird sanctuary". The Times of India. 12 March 2009. Archived from the original on 15 August 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
- ^ Ananda Banerjee (28 July 2011). "Report from India: Where Have the Birds Gone?". ClimateStoryTellers.org. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
- ^ "Stop constructions around Okhla sanctuary: Tribunal to Noida authority". Hindustan Times. 15 August 2013. Archived from the original on 18 August 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
- ^ "National Green Tribunal whammy to realty projects". The Times of India. 15 August 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
- ^ Keetham Lake Agra excursion
- ^ Bird sanctuary, http://cpcbenvis.nic.in/newsletter/ CPCBENVIS]
- ^ Agra Braj circuit of UP Archived 5 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine, UP Tourism.
- ^ a b Yamuna water link may get govt nod, Times of India, 6 April 2016.
- ^ a b Steamer service to revive navigation in Agra Canal after 143 years, Hindustan Times, 1 Feb 2017.