The prospects of the Delhi government’s plan to launch ferry service on the Yamuna River seem to be drying up as the water level in the river rises. On Tuesday, the boat, fully ready for service, covered with a blue tarp, stood on the river bank near the Wazirabad-Sonia Vihar stretch of the river. Only a few meters of water could be seen around him.
An official associated with the service told HT that the cruise boat “can only move a few hundred meters currently”. This throws cold water on the proposed one-hour boat trip on the 5-km route, from Sonia Vihar to Jagatpur.
Read also: The Yamuna is approaching a historic low of 667 feet, and Delhi is starting to feel the pinch
“There is no water left”
“There is no water left in the remaining section to move this heavy boat upriver because its base will get stuck in the sand,” said the official, who requested anonymity because authorities prevented even taking pictures of the boat. “It needs deep water for movement, but even a depth of 6 to 7 feet is not available for navigation.”
“The boat is unlikely to be launched even in June,” the official said. These are the hottest months for the city and, in general, also the driest for the river.
The service was earlier supposed to be launched on February 20 to coincide with the completion of one year of the BJP government in power. But the launch was postponed due to ongoing work.
Read also: Delhi is seeking additional water from Haryana to keep the Yamuna flowing
What did the ministry say?
Last month, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, announced that the service would be launched in May. But the service has not been launched yet. During a spot check, on Monday and Tuesday, HT found the proposed upstream road to be largely dry with small, shallow puddles, barely 2-3 feet deep. While the cruise service station at Sonia Vihar Sports Club was almost ready, four workers trying to sail the boat could not get out of the pool of water in its immediate vicinity.
The next possible launch dates could be after the summer ends, but the onset of monsoon will have its own issues. “It will be risky to operate the service in the monsoon season when the river swells above the warning level. The recent Indore incident has raised caution about operations in unstable waters. The government will take the final decision,” another worker told HT.
Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra did not respond to Hizb ut-Tahrir’s inquiries.
A senior government official, who requested anonymity, said the ferry would not start anytime soon. “The service is unlikely to start at least in summer. The water level in the river is too low to allow navigation. The Inland Waterways Authority and the Delhi government will jointly decide the launch date at an appropriate time.”
Experts said the plan for eco-tourism, water sports and cruises looks bad. Bhim Singh Rawat, a Yamuna activist and member of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and Peoples (SANDRP), said rejuvenation of the river should be the first priority, and eco-tourism and water sports should come later. “The river is struggling to get the basic minimum environmental flow. Barely 350 cusecs of water are released from the Hathnikund river, while the river needs at least 1,500 cusecs of water. A similar plan to run taxis in the stretch has failed in the past, but no lessons have been learned.”
In 2015, IWAI proposed a water taxi service from Sonia Vihar to Tronica, a distance of 16 km. In 2019, the then Union Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inspected this water taxi project by IWAI in Sonia Vihar. However, the plan remained largely on paper due to feasibility concerns. In 2021, the Delhi government rejected the proposal citing severe pollution and inadequate water levels.
In June 2023, an 11-metre Indian Navy boat (Barasingha) brought to Delhi to survey the seaworthiness of the Yamuna got stuck in the river due to severe lack of depth. The boat required a minimum depth of 2 metres, but due to years of accumulation of silt and sewage, the depth of the river bed in this stretch was only 0.9 to 1 metre. The boat, which was scheduled to be berthed at the Delhi Boat Club at Chandji Ram Akhada near Civil Lines, was unloaded on the banks of the river near Signature Bridge three days ago. However, the ship failed to sail due to low depth and the project never got off the ground.
Built by Mumbai-based Inspiration Marine Pvt Ltd, the Island Boats 40 (IB 40) cruise ship is a 40-foot river cruise boat with a catamaran-style hull designed for stability. It has a width of 11 feet and a draft of 3 feet, allowing it to operate in shallow stretches of rivers. The boat has two 40-horsepower electric motors powered by a battery.
The government had previously announced that the cruise initiative was being developed at an estimated cost $20 Crores.
It will offer passengers “panoramic views of the Ghats and the landscape along the river banks.” Tickets will likely be priced around $500 per person. The ship will include boarding areas, ticket counters and waiting areas.
Last year, the Delhi government announced cruise service on the Yamuna River as part of its plan to rejuvenate the river and develop tourism. On 11 March 2025, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with several Delhi government agencies, including the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). This MoU aims to develop and promote cruise tourism along the 5 km stretch of Yamuna River (National Waterway 110 since 2016) between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur.
