Yamuna River Cruise: Delhi gets its first pleasure cruise between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur | Today’s news
Delhi is set to get its first recreational river cruise on the Yamuna, with Union Transport Minister Sarbananda Sonowal planning to inaugurate the facility today (Tuesday, November 10).
The cruise service will operate along the Sonia Vihar-Jagatpur river. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Governor Sardar Taranjit Singh Sandhu are also expected to attend the inaugural ceremony at Sonia Vihar, according to an official statement by the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW).
What the government said
“The development of recreational boating along the Jamuna River in Delhi on the Sonia Vihar-Jagatpur stretch is an important step towards harnessing the potential of this national waterway for recreational boating and river tourism,” the company said.
“The initiative led by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India, reflects the authority’s commitment to promote sustainable inland waterways and develop waterways as an integral part of urban mobility and tourism infrastructure,” the ministry added.
The initiative aims to promote river tourism and provide residents and visitors with a new recreational attraction in the state 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 tap the waterway’s potential for recreational boating and tourism, the statement said.
The cruise ship’s trial runs 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 Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Government of Delhi.
Cruise ships with electric drive
The cruise ships will be powered by electricity, while the initiative also aims to showcase the potential of inland waterways for cleaner and more sustainable transport.
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 will also attend the inauguration ceremony, among others.
