Delhi, 16 January (H.S.): Delhi's Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh inaugurated the launch of the new 'Water Master' machine and dredging operations in Najafgarh Drain on Friday. He described this as a powerful beginning toward cleansing the Yamuna River.

According to information released by Parvesh Sahib Singh, in a major step to clean the Yamuna River and strengthen Delhi's flood management system, the Irrigation and Flood Control Department today commissioned an advanced amphibian multi-purpose dredger named Watermaster along with three hopper barges in Najafgarh Drain.

This drain contributes approximately 70 percent of the total pollution entering the Yamuna.

The Minister stated that this Finland-imported amphibian multi-purpose dredger is a versatile machine capable of operating effectively from dry land to depths of 6 meters in water. It is suitable for tasks such as dredging, raking, piling, sludge removal, and clearing aquatic weeds and hyacinth. The machine proves highly effective for complex and narrow water bodies like Najafgarh Drain.

Its standout feature is amphibian mobility, allowing seamless movement between land and water without obstacles. The dredger is equipped with four stabilizers, a flexible excavator arm that rotates up to 180 degrees, and a 600-liter capacity backhoe bucket.

It is powered by a Caterpillar air-water radiator-cooled engine and includes a GPS-based tracking system and fuel sensor to ensure transparency and efficiency in operations.The Minister revealed that the dredger's sludge pumping capacity stands at 600 cubic meters per hour, enabling it to transport sludge up to 1.5 kilometers away.

The total cost of this state-of-the-art amphibian dredger is ₹803.78 lakh. To enhance dredging efficiency, three self-propelled and self-discharging hopper barges have also been deployed. Each barge costs ₹1.75 crore, totaling ₹5.25 crore. These barges will assist in backhoe dredging, hyacinth and floating debris removal, and boosting the functionality of dredge utility crafts (DUCs).

Each barge has a capacity of 12 cubic meters and is designed for swift and efficient material handling.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar