The Delhi government will undertake topographic and bathymetric surveys of the entire 48-km Yamuna stretch from Palla at the Delhi-Haryana border to Jaitpur at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border to map the riverbed, identify clogged sections and assess changes in the river’s course, senior government officials said.
“The survey uses technologies like single-beam and multi-beam sonar, acoustic Dopplers, GPS and motion sensors mounted on a boat to map the bed as it passes along the water channel. The proposal was aimed at reviving the river’s natural flow, easing pressure on regulator drains and enhancing flood resilience in low-lying neighbourhoods along its banks. Dredging is an exercise usually done for smaller water bodies such as canals and lakes and involves the excavation of accumulated silt, sludge and solid waste from the riverbed.
Besides improving flood management, the government plans to undertake riverfront development projects and boat navigation activities in the river channel, with the survey findings helping in the planning, officials said. The sound velocity data and sensor data are fed into software to get a digital map of the surface,” the official said.
Last year, the Delhi government had stated that it intended to undertake the first dredging of the Yamuna riverbed, for which it would approach the National Green Tribunal.
The surveys will also map embankments, spurs, drains, islands, encroachments and ghats within 100 metres of either bank, with the findings expected to aid flood management as well as planned riverfront development and boat navigation activities, officials said.
