Delhi’s first recreational Yamuna river cruise began operations on Tuesday, opening a six-kilometre round-trip route between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur as part of a government-backed effort to create a new public and tourism identity for the river. Branded the Namo Yamuna River Safari, the service operates on a 30-seater electric vessel and is expected to take 35–45 minutes.
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated the project at Sonia Vihar in the presence of Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra and other officials. The proposed entry fee for the premises is Rs 50, while the cruise ride will cost Rs 500.
The service will be suspended every year from July 1 to September 30 because of monsoon conditions. A second 30-seater electric cruise is expected to be introduced by February-March 2027, according to the report.
Sonowal described the launch as a step towards reconnecting residents with Delhi’s rivers and developing river tourism. Gupta said the initiative was intended to provide residents with access to the river and its surroundings while contributing to the development of the Yamuna riverfront as a public destination.
The project includes a musical fountain and a light-and-sound show presenting the Yamuna’s mythological associations with Surya Dev, Yama and Lord Krishna, including the story of Kaliya Daman. Other facilities developed at the site include a food court, commercial shops, a children’s play area, gaming facilities, skating and rock-climbing facilities, and ecological and walking trails.
A riverfront terminal has been established at Sonia Vihar with two floating jetties, ticket counters, waiting areas, parking, toilets and an electric charging station. The facilities indicate that the project is designed as a wider visitor destination rather than only a boating service.
The launch also brings the tourism project into the government’s broader river rejuvenation programme. PWD and Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said rejuvenation work had been advanced along Delhi’s 52-kilometre Yamuna stretch over the past 18–19 months. He said the next phase would focus on the Wazirabad-Kalindi Kunj stretch and would take another two to two-and-a-half years.
Mishra said work on cleaning the river was progressing and that the remaining work would be completed in due course. The statements place the cruise service alongside, rather than separate from, ongoing efforts to address the Yamuna’s long-standing pollution and environmental challenges.
The Namo Yamuna River Safari has been developed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India in coordination with the Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, Delhi Jal Board and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department. The next stated milestones are the continuation of river rejuvenation work on the Wazirabad-Kalindi Kunj stretch and the proposed addition of a second electric cruise by February-March 2027.
