New Delhi: The irrigation and flood control (I&FC) department has deployed six floating skimmers on the Yamuna and the Najafgarh drain and installed floating pontoons on 12 drains. The skimmers and weed harvesters are designed to remove floating rubbish and aquatic weeds from the water surface. Four skimmers are operating on the Yamuna, while the remaining machines are deployed on the Ghazipur and Najafgarh drains, two major sources of waste that pollute the river. The machines are expected to reduce the volume of floating solid waste that reaches the Yamuna. Alongside surface cleaning, the department extensively desilted major drains across the city ahead of the 2025 monsoon, removing about 18.5 lakh tonnes of silt. The department maintains 57 stormwater drains, including the Najafgarh and Shahdara ones that discharge water into the Yamuna. In addition, 20 more outfall drains, including the Barapullah drain, that empty into the Yamuna were recently transferred to the department for cleaning and maintenance. Many of the drains were not properly desilted for years and contributed to waterlogging and pollution. “The impact of largescale desilting was visible during the 2025 monsoon, when the Yamuna touched 207.48 metres — the third-highest flood level recorded in Delhi. Despite the high water level, we were able to manage the situation without major waterlogging in areas covered by the department’s drains. The fact that there was no major waterlogging in the catchment areas of our drains was a result of the extensive desilting work carried out before the monsoon,” Parvesh Verma, minister for irrigation and flood control, said. An official said that in order to strengthen flood protection along the river, the department has also started construction of a wall along the Yamuna’s right bank from the Old Railway Bridge (ORB) to Majnu Ka Tila. The project is aimed at preventing overflow during periods of high discharge from upstream areas such as the Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana, which often causes sudden rises in the river level. According to an annual report shared by the department, govt initiated topographical and bathymetric surveys of the Yamuna from Palla to Jaitpur, using instruments like sonar and electronic survey systems to map the riverbed and help identify areas where silt accumulation reduces the river’s carrying capacity. “The outcome will guide dredging and river management measures,” an official said. The project is part of a Rs 956-crore urban flood management plan, which includes construction of trunk drains, and additional flood protection work.
