Yamuna River Cruise Delhi: First Service Opens at Sonia Vihar on 10 Nov

Delhi’s first recreational river cruise on the Yamuna will be inaugurated at Sonia Vihar on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, by Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, according to a PIB release from his ministry. Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will be present. The service will run on the Sonia Vihar-Jagatpur stretch of the river, using electric-powered vessels.

Electric Boats on a ‘National Waterway’

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is leading the project with 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 ministry said the Yamuna is designated National Waterway-110 under the National Waterways Act, 2016, and that the initiative reflects the Authority’s commitment to promoting sustainable inland water transport.

Minister of State Shantanu Thakur and Delhi ministers Parvesh Sahib Singh and Kapil Mishra are also listed among those attending. The release does not give fares, timings or the number of passengers a vessel can carry. Those details are likely to be announced at or after the launch.

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Trial Runs Last Month, Inspection a Year Ago

Officials from IWAI and the Delhi government held trial runs of a cruise vessel last month, ANI reported. The Sonia Vihar-Jagatpur corridor was reviewed on site in November 2025, when The Tribune reported that the then Lieutenant Governor and ministers inspected the proposed water transport route.

The river itself remains a concern. IPB News reported earlier this month on toxic foam returning at Kalindi Kunj, days after a Rs 8,941 crore sewage plan was announced. More Delhi coverage is collected under the Delhi tag.

What Is Still Unknown

Ticket prices, the operating schedule and the date the service opens to the public have not been published. The inauguration is on 10 November at Sonia Vihar.

Source: PIB release, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. Also based on reporting by The News Mill / ANI and The Tribune.

Image: Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.