Delhi gets a new tourist attraction on Tuesday with the launch of the Namo Yamuna River Safari. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will inaugurate the 40-minute cruise service at Sonia Vihar. The electric boats will run along a 5-km stretch, offering passengers a unique way to see the river in Delhi.
Delhi is set to get a new tourist attraction on Tuesday with the launch of a recreational river cruise on the Yamuna. Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal will inaugurate the service at Sonia Vihar, in the presence of Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, ANI reported. 40-minute ride The service, called the Namo Yamuna River Safari, will run along a 5-km stretch of the river from Sonia Vihar to Jagatpur, The Economic Times reported. However, the ticket price had not been officially announced yet. Here's what you need to know: Ticket price: Rs 500 per person Ride duration: 40 minutes Capacity: Up to 30 passengers per boat Booking: Online, through Delhi Tourism's website What the boats are like The boats will be air-conditioned, with on-board zero-discharge bio-toilets, life jackets and an announcement system, according to ET.
They will be electric-powered, ANI reported. Operators must run at least four trips a day, and the boats cannot be more than two years old. They can be either leased or owned by the operator. Trial runs of the cruise vessel were held last month in the presence of senior officials from the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the Delhi government. Part of national waterway push "The River Yamuna has been designated as National Waterway-110 under the National Waterways Act, 2016. The development of the recreational river cruise service along the Sonia Vihar-Jagatpur stretch of the Yamuna river in Delhi marks an important step towards harnessing the potential of this National Waterway for recreational navigation and river-based tourism," the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) was quoted by ANI as saying.
The ministry said the project reflects IWAI's push to promote sustainable inland water transport and develop waterways as part of urban mobility and tourism infrastructure. It added that the electric vessels would show how inland waterways can support clean, sustainable mobility. Who's behind it The cruise service has been developed by IWAI, under the MoPSW, in collaboration with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and the Delhi government's Irrigation and Flood Control Department. Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Harsh Malhotra, Delhi PWD and Irrigation Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh and Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra are also expected to attend the launch.