New Delhi [India], November 10 (ANI): Marking a historic turning level within the nationwide capital’s relationship with its defining waterway, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta formally inaugurated Delhi’s first leisure Yamuna River Cruise service in the present day at Sonia Vihar.
Operating alongside a scenic 6-kilometre round-trip stretch between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur, the newly launched 30-seater all-electric vessel guarantees a clear, quiet, and eco-friendly journey aimed toward reconnecting residents and international vacationers with the Yamuna’s wealthy heritage.
The high-profile inauguration introduced collectively a robust coalition of leaders, together with Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Harsh Malhotra, PWD and Irrigation & Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh, Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra, Forest & Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, and MP Manoj Tiwari, alongside prime central and state officers.
Framed as a serious step underneath Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s imaginative and prescient for a Viksit Bharat, the undertaking showcases the increasing potential of India’s inland waterways-designated right here as National Waterway-110.
Highlighting the strategic shift towards riverfront improvement, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal declared, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, India’s rivers and inland waterways are emerging as important drivers of economic growth, tourism and sustainable connectivity. The launch of Delhi’s first recreational cruise service on the Yamuna is another step towards reconnecting people with our rivers and unlocking their immense potential. This launch signals a new wave of river tourism in the city. We are transforming waterways into avenues for tourism, trade and livelihoods while advancing our commitment to cleaner and more efficient mobility. This is an important part of our vision of building a Viksit Bharat.”
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta emphasised the undertaking’s position in revitalising the city panorama and restoring the river to public life.
“The Yamuna is an integral part of Delhi’s history, culture and identity. This recreational cruise service will offer residents and visitors a new way to experience the river while creating fresh opportunities for tourism and local economic activity. Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, we remain committed to developing Delhi’s riverfront as an attractive public destination, with better amenities, sustainable infrastructure and experiences that celebrate the city’s heritage,” she stated.Beyond the electrical cruise, the Sonia Vihar-Jagatpur stretch has been remodeled right into a full-scale eco-tourism hub. A state-of-the-art musical fountain showcases the non secular legacy of the Yamuna, bringing to life tales of Surya Dev, Yama, and the divine leelas of Shri Krishna-including the legendary Kaliya Daman.
The riverfront contains a meals court docket, purchasing arcade, youngsters’s play areas, and journey sports activities setups together with mountaineering and a devoted skating zone. Visitors profit from floating jetties, illuminated strolling pathways, ready lounges, devoted restrooms, and twin ticket reserving through bodily counters and on-line platforms.The Yamuna cruise represents a localised spotlight inside India’s large inland logistics and tourism increase over the previous decade. Freight motion throughout National Waterways expanded dramatically from 18 million metric tonnes (2013-14) to 218 million metric tonnes (2025-26).
Waterways supply freight transport at 1.06 per tonne-kilometre, in comparison with 1.41 by rail and a pair of.28 by highway. Overnight river cruise vessels grew from simply 5 in 2013-14 to 26 in 2025-26, anchored by historic milestones just like the MV Ganga Vilas-the world’s longest river cruise (3,200+ km spanning India and Bangladesh).
The undertaking was collectively developed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) underneath the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, working in shut coordination with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Tourism (DTTDC), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), and the Irrigation & Flood Control Department. (ANI)