NEW DELHI: In a major push to clean the Yamuna, the Delhi government has approved the deployment of 32 high-capacity, modern cleaning machines to prevent untreated sludge, silt and solid waste from entering the river through the capital’s drains.
The machines will be rolled out in phases, with full-scale operations expected to be operational from March.
The initiative aims to tackle pollution at its source by intensifying mechanised cleaning of major drains that discharge into the Yamuna. The drive will begin with the Najafgarh Drain, the single largest contributor of pollution to the river, and will subsequently be expanded to other critical drains and selected stretches of the Yamuna.
Officials said the specialised equipment has been selected to handle deep desilting, sludge removal, weed clearance and cleaning of waterlogged and inaccessible areas that conventional machinery has been unable to address in the past.
The fleet includes eight long-boom amphibious excavators, long-boom hydraulic excavators, two amphibious multi-purpose dredgers, six self-propelled and self-unloading hopper barges, three mini amphibious excavators, two weed harvester machines, two wheeled skid steer loaders, two crawler mini hydraulic excavators and one super sucker-cum-jetting machine.
The first phase of deployment will commence in December, with an amphibious multi-purpose dredger arriving from Finland in the last week of the month.
These machines, widely used internationally for river and wetland restoration, are expected to become fully operational from January, enabling high-intensity mechanised cleaning.
Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma said the government is focused on sustained, on-ground action rather than symbolic measures. “For years, Yamuna cleaning was limited to paperwork and press statements. This time, machines will be working on the ground from January. That is the difference,” he said, criticising past approaches.
The minister said pollution in the Yamuna is the result of prolonged neglect and outdated systems. “We are breaking that cycle by deploying modern, high-capacity machines and enforcing strict monitoring,” he added. Najafgarh Drain has been prioritised due to its massive pollution load.
Once operations stabilise there, the machines will be deployed across other major drains and identified stretches of the river to ensure pollutants are intercepted before reaching the Yamuna. “Our strategy is simple—clean the drains, reduce the pollution load and ensure visible improvement,” he said.