In the backdrop of reports that a Navy boat Barasingha was stuck in the muck in river Yamuna near Signature Bridge, the Raj Niwas on Wednesday clarified the boat was berthed in the jetty created for it at Signature Bridge location as per original plan and it is not stuck.
“The boat is berthed there since the trailer that brought it could not have access to any other suitable location on the Yamuna. The boat was brought in to ascertain the navigability of Yamuna. It is once again reiterated that neither the boat was brought for dredging nor it is stuck in the mud,” the Raj Niwas said. Visuals show the boat stationed at a spot, with two Navy officers standing guard near the fetid-smelling water. As per the visuals, the vessel, equipped for desilting, is unable to move because the water is too shallow; any boat needs at least two metres depth to move but because of decades of pollution, the depth is far less in parts of the river.
The boat was requisitioned from the Indian Navy at Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena's behest after a request by him to acquire such boat, routed through Irrigation and Flood Control, and Tourism Departments, was turned down by the then Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
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 Boat in reference is a 11 meter work Boat of Indian Navy that has been brought from Kochi by Road mounted on a trailer. The Boat commenced its journey on May 25 and reached Delhi on June 3. 2023.