Delhi Govt plans dredging of Yamuna to curb flooding

In view of the recent floods in Delhi, both in 2025 and 2023, the Delhi Government is planning to launch a project to dredge the Yamuna, a technique that has never before been attempted on the river. The government is also preparing to approach the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to seek permission for the same.

“At present, dredging of the river is prohibited. We are planning to approach the NGT for approval. We are building our case with documentation regarding the need and commitment to follow all environmental norms,” said Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Verma.

According to an official, the plan is designed to increase the river’s water-carrying capacity, curb annual flooding and improve the ecological health of the heavily polluted waterway.

The official said the project involves removing decades of accumulated silt, sludge and solid waste from the riverbed along the 22-km stretch of the Yamuna that flows through Delhi.

“The river’s depth and cross section have shrunk considerably over the time due to sedimentation and encroachments,” the official said adding that, “Dredging is necessary to restore its original flow capacity.”

The Yamuna that supplies nearly 70 per cent of Delhi’s drinking water has long been plagued by pollution, shrinking depth and flooding of adjoining low-lying areas during heavy rains.

While dredging is common in ports, reservoirs and small irrigation canals, it has never been carried out on a major river in India for flood management and ecological restoration.

However, there lie challenges in the process. Professor PK Joshi, faculty at the Jawaharlal Nehru University’s School of Environmental Sciences, said when executed in a scientifically designed, site-specific and ecologically sustainable manner, dredging can improve hydraulic efficiency and water conveyance, restoration of aquatic habitats and biodiversity, enhancement of water quality and augmentation of groundwater recharge. Dredged nutrient-rich alluvial silt can be reused as fertiliser in adjoining floodplain farms.

“If done as a blanket measure without ecological safeguards, it can disrupt benthic and riparian ecosystems, sever hydrological connectivity between the river channel and its floodplain aquifers, accelerate bank erosion and geomorphological instability, and expose toxic or contaminated sediments, creating additional management and disposal challenges. Such interventions may ultimately exacerbate ecological degradation,” he added.

Joshi mentioned that the long-term benefits will come only when combined with comprehensive sewage treatment infrastructure, waste management practices, and proactive floodplain conservation and protection.