Blog: Pollution Solution : Water Jet Cutting Machine

To :

Ø Ministers – Policy Makers – Environmentalists – Engineers – Industrialists

Dear Friends :

Yesterday , Delhi Govt extended “ No Fuel for Old Vehicles “ regime to 01 Nov 2025

That gives us 3 + months to come up with satisfactory solutions to following problems :

Ø 30 % pollution is caused by emissions from “ OLD “ vehicles – and we have some 300 lakh OLD vehicles on our roads. Add to this , no of vehicles getting “ OLD “ each year

Ø As per Govt’s “ Vehicle Scrapping Policy “ , we need to scrap all of these ( and fast )

Ø During past 3 years ( 22-25 ) , our 171 RVSF have managed to actually scrap, only 2.5 lakh OLD vehicles ( approx.. 80,000 per year )

Ø At this rate of scrapping, it will take us 300 + YEARS to scrap 300 LAKH vehicles !

Ø Even if this rate ( of scrapping ) were to miraculously go up to 5 lakh / year , even then , it would take 60 YEARS to clear this CURRENT backlog !

Ø There is just no way , we can build and commission, LARGE / ORGANIZED / MECHANIZED scrapping facilities ( Capacity = 10,000 vehicles per year ) fast enough . At best , we may succeed in commissioning 10 such facilities per year ( giving additional capacity of 1 LAKH vehicles per year )

Ø Even out of the existing approved 171 RVSFs , fewer than 50 are operational – with the rest stuck into some bureaucratic quagmire !

Situation would not have been so bad , had we quickly implemented my following 7 YEAR old suggestion :

Ø Car Grave-Yard of World ? …………………. 14 Feb 2018

So , what else could we try ?

Here is my suggestion :

Ø Create a “ Ministry for Vehicle Scrapping “ , with a mandate to “ build and hand-over “ ( BHO model ) , 1,000 Small Scale industrial units ( Galas ) , every year , starting Jan 2026

Ø Each such unit would have capacity to scrap 1,000 OLD vehicles / year ( giving a combined total capacity to scrap 1 MILLION – 10 Lakh , vehicles per year )

Ø Govt to build these Units and sub-contract their day-to-day operation to Start-Ups

{ These Startups to be governed by my following proposal :

# A NEW ECONOMIC ORDER ? aka " Start Up Act – 2015 …… 12 Sept 2015 }

These 1,000 units will also generate , 50,000 jobs !

Do I see any downside to my proposal ?

Yes .

Even today , there are a large number of Car Scrapping Units in the unorganized sector , which are carrying out such work

But they are , themselves causing :

Ø Noise pollution if using Electric Circular Saws for cutting the metal

Ø Air pollution if using Gas Torches / Electric Arc cutters, to cut the metal

Adding 1,000 units , which use these processes, will only WORSEN the air pollution !

Fortunately, there is a “ Metal Cutting Process “ which is NON-POLLUTING .

It is HIGH PRESSURE WATER JET CUTTING machine

No gas , no arc , no noise . Just a mild whoosh of high pressure water cutting the STEEL SHEETS !

Of course , firmly establishing this NON-POLLUTING metal cutting process , would need some experimentation , which should be very easy for our Govt. Research Labs or for Automotive Industry Associations

And there is this aspect of > “ Killing Two Birds with One Stone “

Environmentalists tell us that some 30 % of Air Pollution is caused by the CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY – covering construction of Residential / Commercial buildings / Highways / Roads / Bridges etc

This industry uses Electric Cutters and Pneumatic Hammers – both highly polluting

High Pressure Water Jet machines could also replace these ! Another 30 % pollution gone !

In support of my suggestion , I reproduce below , transcript of my chat with :

www.IndiaAGI.ai

with regards,

Hemen Parekh

www.HemenParekh.ai / www.My-Teacher.in / www.HemenParekh.in / 09 July 2025

I posed following question to www.IndiaAGI.ai , and got a very useful answer shown below :

Do you have any information regarding High Pressure Water Jet Cutting machines for cutting old end of life vehicle

Answer :

To wrap up our exploration of high-pressure water jet cutting (WJC) machines for dismantling and recycling end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), it's clear from the discussion that this technology offers a robust, versatile option for handling the complex materials in old vehicles, while also presenting opportunities for greater sustainability. Building on the insights shared, let's synthesize the key points to provide a balanced view that ties back to your original question about information on these machines.

There's strong agreement that WJC machines, which use ultra-high-pressure water streams (often with abrasives like garnet), excel at cutting through metals, plastics, and composites without generating heat or causing thermal distortion—making them particularly suitable for ELVs.

For instance, sources like KMT Waterjet and TechniWaterjet highlight how this precision minimizes material waste and supports cleaner recycling processes, aligning with the environmental benefits we've discussed.

This consensus underscores WJC's potential as a key tool for selective dismantling, where it can separate components like frames and engine parts more efficiently than traditional methods, as noted in the Wikipedia overview of water jet cutters.

However, the conversation has also revealed nuances in economic viability. On one hand, the strongest arguments point to long-term savings from higher material recovery rates—potentially boosting revenue from recyclables like aluminum and steel—and reduced labor and waste disposal costs through automation, as Gemini and Claude emphasized.

For example, estimates suggest a 10–15% increase in recovery could offset abrasive expenses, drawing from industrial applications in KMT's systems. On the other hand, persistent disagreements center on the high upfront costs and maintenance challenges, with some claims about ROI feeling speculative due to the lack of ELV-specific case studies, as Grok pointed out.

This logical gap highlights that while general applications from sources like NLB Corporation show promise, we need more targeted data to fully resolve these debates.

When it comes to emerging challenges, like adapting WJC for electric vehicles (EVs) with materials such as lithium-ion batteries and carbon-fiber composites, there's consensus on its adaptability but acknowledgment of ongoing hurdles.

DeepSeek and GPT effectively argued that WJC's non-thermal nature could safely handle these, potentially integrating with AI and robotics for better efficiency, as seen in partnerships like the ReCell Center. Yet, as Claude noted, this requires further research to develop protocols that prevent issues like delamination or thermal runaway.

Policy and regulatory factors have emerged as a unifying thread, with everyone agreeing that frameworks like India's Vehicle Scrappage Policy and the EU's ELV Directive could drive adoption through incentives.

The strongest perspective here is that extending producer responsibility (EPR) could make WJC more accessible, but we should recognize the need for collaborative efforts to advocate for subsidies, as suggested in various responses.

To move forward productively, focusing on pilot programs—as several of us recommended—could address these gaps by generating real-world data on costs and benefits.

For instance, testing WJC in diverse ELV facilities could refine its application for EVs and explore abrasive alternatives like recycled slag, balancing evidence from our sources.

In compiling the references from our discussion, here's an organized overview to keep everything accessible:

- *WJC Technology and Applications*:

- Detailed troubleshooting and solutions - [ TechniWaterjet ]

( https://www.techniwaterjet.com/waterjet-cutting-problems-and-solutions/ )

- Pumps and systems for industrial use - [ KMT Waterjet ]

( https://kmtwaterjet.com/ )

- Historical and operational overview - [ Water Jet Cutter – Wikipedia ]

( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_jet_cutter )

- High-pressure systems and blasting equipment - [ NLB Corporation ]

( https://www.nlbcorp.com/ )

- Concrete removal techniques (relevant for material handling) - [ Hydrodemolition ]

( https://www.conjet.com/hydrodemolition/ )