Yamuna River Cruise: Delhi to get its first recreational cruise service between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur

Delhi will get its first recreational Yamuna cruise service on Tuesday, November 10. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will inaugurate the electric-powered cruise along the Sonia Vihar-Jagatpur stretch to promote river-based tourism.

Delhi is set to get its first recreational river cruise service on the Yamuna, with Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal scheduled to inaugurate the facility today (Tuesday, November 10).

The cruise service will operate along the Sonia Vihar-Jagatpur stretch of the river. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Lieutenant Governor Sardar Taranjit Singh Sandhu are also expected to attend the inauguration ceremony at Sonia Vihar, according to an official statement from Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW).

What the government said

"The development of the recreational river cruise service along the Sonia Vihar-Jagatpur stretch of the Yamuna River in Delhi marks an important step towards harnessing the potential of this National Waterway for recreational navigation and river-based tourism," it said.

"Spearheaded by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India, the initiative reflects the Authority's commitment to promoting sustainable inland water transport and developing waterways as an integral component of urban mobility and tourism infrastructure," the Ministry added.

The initiative aims to promote river-based tourism and provide residents and visitors with a new recreational attraction in the national capital.

National Waterways Act, 2016

The Yamuna has been designated as National Waterway-110 under the National Waterways Act, 2016. The cruise service is expected to utilise the waterway's potential for recreational navigation and tourism, the statement said.

Trial runs of the cruise vessel were successfully conducted last month in the presence of senior officials from the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the Delhi government.

The service is being developed by IWAI, under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, in collaboration with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department of the Delhi government.

Electric-powered cruise vessels

The cruise vessels will be electric-powered, with the initiative also aimed at showcasing the potential of inland waterways for cleaner and more sustainable transport.

The inauguration ceremony will also be attended by Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Harsh Malhotra, Delhi ministers Parvesh Sahib Singh and Kapil Mishra, and Lok Sabha MP Manoj Tiwari, among other officials.