Times News NetworkNew Delhi: Delhi govt has decided that IIT Delhi will be brought in to do a study for the construction of a new flood protection wall along a 4-km stretch of the Yamuna.Building the wall to protect flood-prone areas of the city will start next year after a detailed study by the IIT, officials said on Wednesday. “For now, we will repair the existing wall along the Yamuna to protect vulnerable areas, including Yamuna Bazar,” water minister Parvesh Verma said.The Yamuna Bazar area, near Kashmere Gate, has been identified by the authorities as one of the top waterlogging hotspots in the city. “In 2023, despite the protection wall, inundation had reached 8 to 10 feet in the area, due to which evacuation had to be done. It is the first area to get flooded during high tide in the Yamuna in the monsoon,” the minister added.From the devastating floods of 1978 to the more recent episodes in 2023 and 2025, this stretch has remained exposed.According to the plan, a 4.72-km wall will be built from Majnu Ka Tila to the Old Railway Bridge. The target is to complete it before the next monsoon.The wall is expected to provide strong protection to vulnerable localities such as Civil Lines, Kashmere Gate, Yamuna Bazaar and Majnu Ka Tila.In Aug 2024, a report of the joint flood committee (JFC) identified the construction of a flood protection wall along this stretch of the Ring Road as the most viable long-term solution.The initiative is being positioned by govt as a “permanent solution” to the city’s persistent flooding woes. Experts, however, cautioned that preventing water from reaching the floodplain can impact groundwater recharge and harm the ecology.The CMO had earlier said the wall will act as a safeguard against a rising river and prevent water from entering low-lying areas.