Delhi’s Yamuna cruise service was inaugurated on Tuesday ahead of Chhath, as the city government also announced plans for a larger festival programme and an 11-kilometre ghat along the Munak Canal. The service was inaugurated at a programme attended by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, according to a report by Live Hindustan – NCR.
The report did not provide details of the cruise’s route, passenger capacity, fares, operating schedule or the agency responsible for day-to-day operations. Those details will determine how the service functions as a public attraction and whether it develops into a regular component of Delhi’s riverfront plans.
At the inauguration, Gupta said this year’s Chhath celebrations would be more elaborate than last year’s. She linked the cruise launch and the government’s river-cleaning efforts to the city’s wider focus on the Yamuna and criticised the previous Arvind Kejriwal-led government over its handling of the river and public works.
Gupta also said the current government had completed 21 months in office and claimed that work was progressing across departments. Her remarks included allegations that the previous administration had attributed delays to the Union government and the Lieutenant Governor. These political claims were made at the inauguration event and were not independently examined in the supplied report.
The announcement comes as Delhi prepares new arrangements for Chhath worshippers. The Chief Minister’s Office said an 11-kilometre ghat is being prepared along the Munak Canal, stretching from Outer Ring Road to Inderlok. The government has described it as Delhi’s longest ghat. The facility is intended to provide space for worship and improve access for devotees attending the festival.
According to the report, steps and a concrete road will be constructed on both sides of the ghat to support the movement of visitors. The ghat is scheduled to be inaugurated on 12 November near Singalpur village by Bharatiya Janata Party national president Nitin Nabin, the report said. The source contains varying references to the leader’s name and does not provide further administrative details about the project.
The cruise launch places the Yamuna at the centre of two different urban functions: a proposed recreational and visitor service, and a site used by residents for religious activity. The source report does not state whether the cruise operations are connected to the Chhath arrangements or to the ghat project.
The immediate implementation questions include the service’s public timetable, safety arrangements, access points, ticketing system and environmental safeguards. None of these details were included in the supplied announcement. The next stated milestone is the 12 November inauguration of the 11-kilometre ghat, while the Delhi government has said this year’s Chhath programme will be larger than the previous year’s.
