en.Wedoany.com Reported - Italian dredging equipment manufacturer Italdraghe SpA announced on June 24, 2026, that a new cutter suction dredger has officially commenced operations on the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India, supporting a critical dredging project aimed at restoring safe and efficient navigation on this stretch of the river. The project seeks to deepen the riverbed from 2 meters to 6 meters to address the issue of rising riverbed levels caused by continuous sedimentation of sand and other materials.
Italdraghe, headquartered in San Giovanni in Marignano on Italy's Adriatic coast, has specialized in the design and construction of dredging equipment since its founding in 1952, supplying hundreds of cutter suction dredgers and dredging pumps worldwide. The company has been deeply engaged in the Indian market for over 15 years. According to a report from May 2025, Italdraghe collaborated with a renowned Indian shipyard to sign a contract for the supply of six SGT 450 cutter suction dredgers to the Indian market, as part of the Indian government's strategy to enhance inland and coastal waterway infrastructure.
The newly operational dredger has a dredging capacity of 3,750 cubic meters per hour and a maximum working depth of 14.5 meters, designed to meet high-performance requirements under demanding dredging conditions. The Hooghly River, a major distributary of the Ganga River, forms part of National Waterway 1 (NW-1), which extends from Haldia to Varanasi. As a vital waterway in eastern India, the Hooghly River plays a key role in regional freight and passenger transportation. This dredging project will help enhance the navigability of the waterway, supporting regional economic development and trade flows.
Italdraghe stated that this project once again confirms its long-standing experience in designing and supplying reliable dredging solutions for inland waterways, ports, and environmental maintenance projects. By deploying high-performance dredging equipment, this dredging operation will effectively improve navigation conditions on the Hooghly River, ensure the safety of vessel traffic, and support the continued development of India's inland water transport network.
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