Delhi to procure two amphibious excavators to clean Yamuna drains, fight pollution

In a bid to reduce pollution in the Yamuna river, the Delhi government will procure two large ''amphibious excavators'' for operations in major city drains such as the Najafgarh drain, officials said on Monday.

The machines, designed to function in marshy swamps, will be used for desilting, removal of solid waste, unwanted vegetation and landscaping work. The procurement is part of a multi-agency effort aimed at rejuvenating the Yamuna River, which remains one of the country's most polluted rivers.

''The machines will be procured for a period of four years, and the company will have to provide the manpower to operate them. The excavator will be used for desilting work, clearing of unwanted vegetation, and landscaping work. We have floated a tender for procurement,'' an official said.

As per estimates, Delhi contributes a staggering 76 per cent of the Yamuna's total pollution load despite accounting for just 2 per cent of its length. In Delhi, the Yamuna flows for 52 kilometres, of which a critical 22 km segment is from Wazirabad to Okhla — the most polluted section.

The cost of the project will be Rs 8.6 crore, including two years of operation and maintenance, watch and ward staff, fuel and other basic costs, he added. The excavators are specialised floating machines that are designed to operate in water bodies.

The Irrigation and Flood Control department (I&FC), which will execute the project, currently has 77 drains under its purview, totalling around 419 kilometres in length.

There are 22 big drains that have outfall in the Yamuna — these include the biggest, the 57 km Najafgarh drain, the Shahdara drain, and the Supplementary drain, the biggest polluters of the river. Besides, there are around 300 sub-drains that end up in these large drains, adding to the overall pollution load in the Yamuna.

Earlier in June, the Delhi government had launched a comprehensive 45-point action plan to rejuvenate the Yamuna River within the next two years with the involvement of multiple agencies.

As per the government's plan, the I&FC will also be adding floating skimmers on the Yamuna River and the Najafgarh drain. These devices are used to collect floating debris in a body of water. Floating pontoons will be installed on each of the major drains having an outfall in the river, along with other measures to reduce the waste entering the river.

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