Yamuna Boat Tourism Project will provide a inexperienced tourism expertise with electric-solar boats

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 venture goals to introduce leisure boat cruises and ferry companies on the River Yamuna.

According to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the venture, situated upstream of the Wazirabad Barrage between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur, seeks to supply a brand new inexperienced tourism expertise whereas bettering connectivity by eco-friendly river journey. It is being developed at an estimated value 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 city tourism, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is creating services alongside a 6–7 km round-trip hall between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur.

After inspecting the on-ground progress, Mr. Sonowal stated the initiative embodies the federal government’s dedication to fashionable and sustainable waterways. “Under the dynamic management of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s waterways have witnessed a transformational revival after many years of neglect. Eco-friendly cruise tourism on the Yamuna is a serious milestone,” he stated.

Cruise tourism

To allow implementation, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has signed an MoU with key Delhi authorities companies, together with the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, DDA, DJB and DTTDC. The settlement focuses on creating cruise tourism alongside a four-kilometre stretch of NW-110, supported by electric-solar hybrid vessels that may carry 30–40 passengers. IWAI has already put in two floating jetties of 50-passenger capability at Sonia Vihar, with extra facilities akin to parking and leisure areas deliberate.

Mr. Sonowal stated the venture would open “a brand new chapter for Delhi” by selling cleaner modes of journey and enriching town’s tourism panorama with river-cruise experiences. The evaluation assembly was additionally attended by Delhi Ministers Pravesh Sahib Singh and Kapil Mishra, together with senior IWAI and Delhi authorities officers.

Across India, IWAI continues to strengthen nationwide waterways by terminals, improved fairways, evening navigation methods and sustainable vessels. Under the Harit Nauka initiative, electrical catamarans have been launched in Varanasi and Ayodhya, with new deployments deliberate in Patna and Guwahati. The authority additionally not too long ago examined India’s first indigenous hydrogen fuel-cell vessel.

Highlighting the sector’s enlargement, Sonowal famous that operational nationwide waterways have elevated by 767%, cargo motion by 635%, and investments by 233% over the previous decade — marking a dramatic turnaround for a sector as soon as missed.