The Namo Yamuna River Safari began operations in Delhi on Tuesday, offering a six-kilometre round trip between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur at a ticket price of ₹500 per passenger. The cruise service was inaugurated by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, with the first public rides scheduled to begin later in the evening.
The service is designed to carry around 40 passengers at a time. It is being positioned as a river-tourism initiative as well as a new way for residents and visitors to access the Yamuna, although the initial route is limited to the Sonia Vihar–Jagatpur stretch.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Delhi government ministers Kapil Mishra and Parvesh Verma were among those present at the inauguration, according to Live Hindustan. Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra and local MP Manoj Tiwari also attended the event.
The launch follows trial operations on the river. A cruise vessel was tested last month in the presence of senior officials from the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the Delhi government. Chief Minister Gupta also took part in a trial ride between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur during the final week of October, after which the service underwent a week-long operational trial.
The project is being developed by IWAI with support from the Delhi Development Authority, the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, the Delhi Jal Board and the Delhi government’s Irrigation and Flood Control Department. The vessels planned for the service will be electrically powered, with the agencies describing the initiative as a step towards cleaner and more sustainable transport and tourism in Delhi-NCR.
The government has declared the Yamuna a national waterway under the National Waterways Act, 2016, designating it as National Waterway-110. The Sonia Vihar–Jagatpur cruise is therefore also linked to the wider effort to assess the river’s potential for navigation and tourism. The project gives that policy framework a visible public-facing component within the capital.
The fare has initially been fixed at ₹500 per person, though it may be reviewed and reduced in the future. The service’s immediate public impact will depend on how the route is accessed, how regularly vessels operate and how the participating agencies coordinate safety, passenger handling and river operations. Those operational details were not specified in the report.
The launch also places the cruise service within the broader challenge of reconnecting Delhi with the Yamuna while managing the river as an environmental, infrastructural and public asset. For now, the confirmed offering is a 40-passenger electric cruise covering six kilometres between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur. The service has moved from testing to public operations following the completion of the reported trial phase.
