NEW DELHI: Want to cruise down the Yamuna for just `500? The newly launched ‘Namo Yamuna River Safari’ in Delhi, unveiled on Tuesday, offers you just that.
The electric cruise will take passengers on a six-kilometre round trip between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur. Each ride lasts around 40 minutes and accommodates up to 30 passengers. Tickets will be available online through the Delhi Tourism website.
A stretch from Wazirabad Barrage to Jagatpur, has been identified as suitable for water transport, with a minimum navigational depth of 1.5m prescribed for small passenger vessels. Recreational cruise and ferry services have been developed along an approximately four-kilometre stretch between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur, where a riverfront terminal has also been established.
The service will remain closed every year from July 1 to September 30, keeping in view river conditions during the monsoon. A second electric cruise, with the same capacity of 30 passengers, is expected to be launched by February-March 2027.
But there is more to the riverfront than just a boat ride. The project has been developed as a recreational spot, with a children’s play zone, a theme-based musical fountain, a food court, commercial shops and entertainment facilities for tourists and families. Ecological trails and walking paths have also been created for visitors.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the project would bring people closer to “Maa Yamuna” and give them an opportunity to reconnect with the river.