Delhi’s Yamuna cruise service could begin before the Chhath festival after Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inspected a trial run on the river stretch between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur on Monday. The proposed service is being developed as a riverfront tourism and recreation project, with the government targeting a formal launch before Chhath.
Gupta reviewed the progress of the project, the planned operating arrangements and facilities being prepared for passengers during her inspection. Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra was also present. Officials briefed the chief minister on the route, cruise capacity, passenger facilities and the proposed fee structure.
The service will cover an approximately six-kilometre waterway between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur’s Shani temple. Officials said the round trip is expected to take between 35 and 45 minutes. The cruise currently planned for the route will have capacity for 30 passengers.
The trial run is planned for about a week, after which the formal opening could take place in the first week of November, according to the report. The government is also planning to start the service before Chhath, a festival during which large numbers of people visit riverbanks and water bodies for पूजा and associated activities. The report did not provide a confirmed inauguration date.
The proposed charges include an entry fee of Rs 50 for the premises and Rs 500 for a complete cruise journey. The project area is also being equipped with food kiosks, a restaurant, a children’s zone and other public facilities intended to support visitors.
The government has presented the project as part of a wider effort to create a river-based tourism destination in Delhi. Gupta said the service would give residents an opportunity to experience the Yamuna and could open new possibilities for tourism and recreation in the capital. She also said that developing facilities around the river could support local economic activity and generate employment opportunities.
Mishra described the Yamuna river safari as a major project involving the Centre, the Delhi Development Authority, the Delhi government and Delhi Tourism. According to his statement, the wider visitor experience is expected to include boat rides, a musical fountain, water sports and a food park. He said the project would follow National Green Tribunal and environmental standards.
The proposed service brings a public-access and management challenge alongside its tourism objective. The project will need to coordinate passenger operations, visitor facilities, river access and environmental compliance across agencies. The supplied report does not provide details on the operating agency, safety protocols, booking system, daily service frequency or the basis for the proposed fares.
For now, the next stated milestones are the week-long trial run and a possible formal launch in the first week of November, subject to the project’s operational readiness.
