• Delhi’s first recreational Yamuna cruise service to be inaugurated at Sonia Vihar.
• Sarbananda Sonowal to launch the service with Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and CM Rekha Gupta.
• Cruise route will cover the Sonia Vihar-Jagatpur stretch of National Waterway-110.
• Electric-powered vessels to promote sustainable mobility and river-based tourism.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 10th Nov: Delhi is set to launch its first recreational river cruise service along the Yamuna, adding a new attraction to the national capital’s tourism landscape. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal will inaugurate the service at Sonia Vihar on Tuesday, November 10, in the presence of Delhi Lieutenant Governor Sardar Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

The cruise service will operate along the Sonia Vihar-Jagatpur stretch of the Yamuna, with the initiative aimed at promoting river-based tourism and providing residents and visitors with a new recreational experience.

The inauguration will also be attended by Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur and Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Harsh Malhotra. Delhi ministers Parvesh Sahib Singh, who holds the Public Works Department and Irrigation and Flood Control portfolios, and Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra will also be present. Member of Parliament Manoj Tiwari and senior officials from the Central and Delhi governments are expected to attend.

Yamuna development as National Waterway-110
The Yamuna has been designated as National Waterway-110 under the National Waterways Act, 2016. The recreational cruise service on the Sonia Vihar-Jagatpur stretch marks an effort to utilise the waterway’s potential for recreational navigation and river-based tourism.

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 project is being spearheaded by IWAI under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. It reflects the Centre’s focus on promoting inland water transport and developing waterways as part of urban mobility and tourism infrastructure.

Electric vessels to promote clean mobility
The initiative is expected to provide Delhi residents and tourists with a new way to experience the Yamuna while encouraging greater public engagement with the river.

The use of electric-powered cruise vessels is also intended to demonstrate the potential of inland waterways for clean and sustainable mobility. The service is expected to add a recreational attraction to the National Capital Region while supporting river-based tourism.

Multiple agencies involved in the project
The recreational Yamuna cruise service is being developed by IWAI under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways in association with the Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, Delhi Jal Board and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department of the Delhi Government.

The initiative brings together Central and Delhi government agencies to develop the Sonia Vihar-Jagatpur stretch for recreational navigation and tourism.