New Delhi, Aug 10 (PTI) Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday said the Haryana government's action against its irrigation department officials is a "clear admission of its responsibility" for the unprecedented floods in the capital in July.

Addressing a press conference, he requested the neighbouring state to hand over the management of the ITO Barrage to the city government.

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A downpour on July 8 and 9 in Delhi and subsequent heavy rain in the river's upper catchment areas, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Haryana, had led to the Yamuna swelling to record levels last month. The river breached embankments and penetrated deep into the city, causing massive damage to public and private property.

The Delhi government had alleged that some of the gates of the ITO barrage got jammed due to silt accumulation, hindering the quick drainage of river water.

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Following a probe into the matter, the Haryana government on Wednesday suspended an irrigation department chief engineer and chargesheeted three other officials.

"The chief engineer concerned sits in Delhi. His primary work is to ensure proper functioning of the barrage. He and his subordinates failed to fulfil their responsibility.

"Earlier, Haryana had even refused to acknowledge that the barrage belongs to them and that they are responsible for its maintenance. They have now admitted their mistake and taken action against the erring officials," Bharadwaj said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)