Delhi CM Rekha Gupta flags off special machines for Najafgarh drain

The Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta flagged off four excavator machines for the cleaning drive. Scroll down to read the detailed story.

The Chief Minister of Delhi, Rekha Gupta, inaugurated the advanced amphibious excavator machines on Friday. The four machines are expected to increase the cleaning process of the drains in the region of Najafgarh and many nearby areas. This is a part of the efforts of the Delhi government to reduce pollution in the Yamuna River. The Chief Minister did a ground inspection in the Badusurai area and said that the excavator machines will aid in the removal of large quantities of silt and garbage that remain accumulated inside the drains.

Function of advanced excavator machines

The Delhi government stated that over 10 million metric tonnes of salt are accumulated inside the Najafgarh drain. It is considered a predominant pollutant in the Yamuna.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said, “These machines will speed up the removal of silt and garbage and improve the drainage system, which is a step towards cleaning the Yamuna River. It is estimated that more than 10 million metric tonnes of silt have accumulated in the Najafgarh drain.”

According to the Delhi CM, the amphibious machines are procured by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, which will largely increase the speed of desilting work and the improvement of the drainage capacity. “We are now carrying out desilting work throughout the year instead of limiting it to the pre-monsoon period,” she added.

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Plans for more machines

The Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, said that the government is planning to purchase even more advanced amphibious excavator machines in the upcoming months for the cleaning drive in the city. The officials said that every machine costs almost Rs. 1.27 crore. The machines have now been deployed at several locations like Badusarai Bridge, Kakrola, Dwarka and Uttam Nagar. This has been done to finish the cleaning work, which has been pending for a long time.

Impact on capital city’s waterlogging

The Minister for Irrigation and Flood Control, Parvesh Sahib Singh, said that the excavator machines will remove multiple layers of accumulated silt over the years. He said that with the help of the machines, the water-carrying capacity of the drains will also be greatly benefited, and the situation of waterlogging can be greatly reduced during the time of monsoons. The Cabinet Minister Ashish Sood also gave his insights on the waterlogging issue. According to him, the drain had not been cleaned for years.

(With inputs from PTI)

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