Delhi’s First Recreational Yamuna Cruise Service Set for Launch
Delhi is set to get its first recreational river cruise service on the Yamuna, with Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal scheduled to inaugurate it at Sonia Vihar, in north-east Delhi, on Tuesday, 10 November 2026. The cruise will run on the Sonia Vihar–Jagatpur stretch of the river, which is declared National Waterway-110 under the National Waterways Act, 2016.
The service has been developed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, together with the Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, Delhi Jal Board and the Delhi Government’s Irrigation and Flood Control Department. Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor and Chief Minister are expected to attend, along with Ministers of State Shantanu Thakur and Harsh Malhotra.
From the CrewMirror Blog
Trial runs of the cruise vessel were carried out in October. The project will use electric-powered vessels, which the ministry presents as an example of clean, low-noise river transport for a busy city. Details such as vessel capacity, timings and fares have not yet been announced.
The launch is part of a wider push to develop India’s national waterways for passenger, tourism and cargo use. It follows the ministry’s recent plan to double the share of coastal shipping and inland waterways in India’s freight movement to 12% by 2047, and adds river tourism in the national capital to that effort.
CrewMirror Takeaway
New river cruise services on national waterways create openings for trained inland vessel masters, engine drivers and crew, including those with experience of electric propulsion. Seafarers looking for shore-based or near-home work may find this growing sector worth following.
