Delhi deploys Finnish dredger worth Rs 8 cr in Najafgarh drain to curb Yamuna pollution

The Najafgarh drain is estimated to account for nearly 70% of the river’s total pollution load. (File photo)

• Delhi uses Finnish dredger to clean Najafgarh drain, a major Yamuna pollutant.
• Dredger clears 600 cubic meters of sludge per hour with three hopper barges.
• Initiative targets sustained scientific action to cut untreated sewage in Yamuna.

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The Delhi government, on Friday, deployed a Finnish-made amphibious dredger in the Najafgarh drain in an effort to curb the flow of untreated sewage and sludge into the Yamuna River. The Najafgarh drain is estimated to account for nearly 70 percent of the river’s total pollution load, according to officials.

Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma inaugurated the Watermaster Amphibious Multipurpose Dredger at Dulsiras village in southwest Delhi. “Around 70 percent of Yamuna pollution comes from the Najafgarh drain. Untreated sewage enters the river here, and this machine will help us address the problem at the source,” he said.

As per officials, the dredger can operate from dry land to water depths of up to six metres and has a sludge-removal capacity of about 600 cubic metres per hour. It is equipped with four stabilisers, a 180-degree flexible excavator arm and a 600-litre backhoe bucket, enabling it to work efficiently in congested drain systems.

Three self-propelled and self-unloading hopper barges have also been deployed to assist in dredging operations and in the removal of hyacinth and floating waste. Each barge has a capacity of 12 cubic metres, further added officials.

The dredger, imported from Finland, costs a little over Rs 8 crore, while the hopper barges were deployed at a total cost of Rs 5.25 crore. The mechanised cleaning drive marks the beginning of intensified desilting operations in the Najafgarh drain, the single largest contributor of pollution to the Yamuna.

“If we are serious about cleaning the Yamuna, this drain has to be treated with the best available technology and continuous monitoring,” Verma said, adding that more such machines could be deployed at other major drains after reviewing the performance of the dredger.

He said the initiative reflected the government’s focus on sustained action rather than symbolic measures. “Cleaning the Yamuna is not about announcements. It requires scientific, permanent solutions on the ground,” the minister said.