The Delhi government has approved the deployment of 32 high-capacity specialised machines to stop untreated waste from entering the Yamuna, marking a significant step in the city’s long-running effort to reduce pollution in the river. Officials said all machines will be made operational between January and March, with mechanical cleaning work scheduled to begin at the Najafgarh drain, identified as the largest contributor of pollution to the Yamuna.
The initiative focuses on intercepting pollution at its source through large-scale mechanical desilting and the removal of sludge, solid waste and aquatic weeds from major drains before they discharge into the river. Cleaning operations will begin with the Najafgarh drain and will later be extended to other identified drains and select stretches of the Yamuna in a phased manner.
Irrigation and flood control minister Pravesh Verma said the clean-up drive would now move beyond announcements to visible action on the ground. He said that for years, cleaning the Yamuna remained limited to files and press statements, but this time machines will start operating from January. According to him, pollution in the river is the result of prolonged neglect and outdated systems, and the new plan aims to address this through modern equipment and strict monitoring.
Officials from the irrigation and flood control department said the 32 machines include a mix of amphibious, hydraulic and dredging equipment designed to operate in waterlogged, deep and marshy conditions where conventional cleaning methods have failed. The fleet includes long-boom amphibious excavators, long-boom hydraulic excavators, amphibious multi-purpose dredgers, self-propelled and self-unloading hopper barges, mini amphibious excavators, weed harvester machines, skid steer loaders, crawler mini hydraulic excavators and a super sucker-cum-jetting machine.
An official said the machines will be used for deep desilting, removal of accumulated sludge, extraction of water hyacinth and weeds, and cleaning areas that are difficult to access through manual or semi-mechanical methods. The equipment was selected after assessing the nature of pollution and terrain across different drains.
The first phase of the plan is scheduled to begin in December, with one amphibious multi-purpose dredger expected to arrive from Finland in the last week of the month. Officials said the equipment, which is commonly used in international river and wetland restoration projects, will be fully operational by January, allowing cleaning work to pick up pace early in the new year.
Najafgarh drain has been prioritised due to the heavy pollution load it carries into the Yamuna. Once operations stabilise there, the machines will be deployed across other major drains and identified river stretches to ensure pollutants are removed before they reach the main channel.
The cleaning plan includes round-the-clock operations, faster removal of silt and sludge, and scientific disposal of the extracted material. Officials said daily progress will be monitored and coordination mechanisms have been put in place among departments handling drainage, flood control and waste management to ensure the Yamuna clean-up continues as a year-round exercise rather than a seasonal effort.