Indian Navy Boat To Sound Out Yamuna's Depths For Commercial Waterway Potential

An Indian navy boat will be used to vet Yamuna's potential as a waterway channel, a statement from the LG office has said. The navy boat christened 'Barahsingha' has been berthed at a jetty created near the Signature Bridge, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The boat has been brought to ascertain the navigability of the river and explore the possibility of utilising the clean channel as an inland waterway for transport, recreation and tourism," the statement said.  

The 11-metre-long work boat of the navy was moored near the Signature Bridge because a trailer that brought it from Kochi, could not access any other suitable location on Yamuna, it said. The LG office refuted reports that the boat was "stuck" in mud or that it was meant for dredging.  

The boat has been requisitioned from the Indian Navy at Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena's initiative, read the statement. His request for the boat was routed through the Irrigation and Flood Control, and Tourism departments of the Delhi government.  

"The boat, an 11-metre work boat of the Indian Navy, was brought from Kochi on a trailer. It was transported from Kochi on May 25 and reached Delhi on June 3. The draft of the boat is 1.7 metres (minimum depth required)," the statement said. A hydrographic survey of Yamuna was done by the navy through its team from Dehradun and Karwar.

The survey completed on June 8 revealed depths ranging from 0.9 metres to up to more than 4 metres in Yamuna. Stretches 1.7 metres deep or less have been physically marked in the river, the statement said. The authorities have deployed dredging equipment in the river to create a suitable channel of ideal depth for the boat to navigate. The dredging exercise is likely to be completed by June 20, the statement read.