In a push to clean the Yamuna and reinforce Delhi’s flood management system, the Irrigation and Flood Control Department on Friday commissioned a state-of-the-art Amphibian Multipurpose Dredger Watermaster, along with three hopper barges, at the Najafgarh Drain.
Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Verma launched the machine in the presence of senior officials. The Najafgarh Drain alone contributes nearly 70 per cent of the total pollution load entering the Yamuna, making it a critical focus area for the government’s river-cleaning efforts.
Sourced from Finland, the Watermaster dredger is designed to handle complex and congested drain systems. It can operate seamlessly from dry land to water depths of up to six metres and is equipped for multiple tasks, including dredging, sludge and silt removal, raking, piling and clearing aquatic weeds such as hyacinth. Its amphibious mobility allows it to move easily between land and water, while features such as four stabilisers, a 180-degree movable excavator arm and a 600-litre backhoe bucket enhance its operational efficiency.
The dredger is powered by a caterpillar air-water radiator-cooled engine and fitted with GPS-based tracking and a fuel sensor to ensure transparency and monitoring. With a sludge pumping capacity of 600 cubic metres per hour and a discharge range of up to 1.5 kms, the machine significantly boosts the department’s waste-removal capabilities. The dredger has been procured at a cost of Rs 803.78 lakh.
To complement the dredging operations, three self-propelled and self-unloading hopper barges have also been deployed at a total cost of Rs 5.25 crore. Each barge has a capacity of 12 cubic metres and will assist in backhoe dredging, removal of floating waste and hyacinth, and improve the effectiveness of existing dredge utility craft.
Speaking at the commissioning, Minister Parvesh Verma said the Najafgarh Drain must be addressed with the best available technology if the Yamuna is to be cleaned. He said the Watermaster represents a global benchmark in dredging operations, and that similar advanced machinery would be deployed at other locations, if the performance meets expectations.