The project aims to introduce recreational boat cruises and ferry services on the River Yamuna. File.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, and Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, reviewed the progress of the Yamuna Boat Tourism and Ferry Infrastructure Development Project on Tuesday (November 18, 2025). The project aims to introduce recreational boat cruises and ferry services on the River Yamuna.
According to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the project, located upstream of the Wazirabad Barrage between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur, seeks to offer a new green tourism experience while improving connectivity through eco-friendly river travel. It is being developed at an estimated cost of ₹20 crore.
This stretch of the Yamuna, notified as National Waterway 110 (NW-110), extends over 1,080 kilometres from Jagatpur in Delhi to Prayagraj. To promote inland water transport and short-distance urban tourism, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is developing facilities along a 6–7 km round-trip corridor between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur.
After inspecting the on-ground progress, Mr. Sonowal said the initiative embodies the government’s commitment to modern and sustainable waterways. “Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s waterways have witnessed a transformational revival after decades of neglect. Eco-friendly cruise tourism on the Yamuna is a major milestone,” he said.
Cruise tourism
To enable implementation, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has signed an MoU with key Delhi government agencies, including the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, DDA, DJB and DTTDC. The agreement focuses on developing cruise tourism along a four-kilometre stretch of NW-110, supported by electric-solar hybrid vessels that can carry 30–40 passengers. IWAI has already installed two floating jetties of 50-passenger capacity at Sonia Vihar, with additional amenities such as parking and recreational spaces planned.
Mr. Sonowal said the project would open “a new chapter for Delhi” by promoting cleaner modes of travel and enriching the city’s tourism landscape with river-cruise experiences. The review meeting was also attended by Delhi Ministers Pravesh Sahib Singh and Kapil Mishra, along with senior IWAI and Delhi government officials.
Across India, IWAI continues to strengthen national waterways through terminals, improved fairways, night navigation systems and sustainable vessels. Under the Harit Nauka initiative, electric catamarans have been launched in Varanasi and Ayodhya, with new deployments planned in Patna and Guwahati. The authority also recently tested India’s first indigenous hydrogen fuel-cell vessel.
Highlighting the sector’s expansion, Sonowal noted that operational national waterways have increased by 767%, cargo movement by 635%, and investments by 233% over the past decade — marking a dramatic turnaround for a sector once overlooked.
Published – November 19, 2025 03:53 am IST
