Delhi ferry project delayed as 5km route in Yamuna becomes largely dry

THe prospects of new delhi authorities’s contrive to set in motion its ferryboat service in the Yamuna seem to be drying up with the water levels of the river. On Tuesday, the boat, which is fully ready for service, stood covered with blue tarp against the bank near the river’s Wazirabad-Sonia Vihar stretch. Around it, barely a few metres of water were visible in which it could possibly navigate.An official associated with the service told HT that, currently, cruise boat “can only move a few hundred metres”. This throws cold water on the proposed one-hour boat ride over a 5km route, from Sonia Vihar to Jagatpur.READ ALSO: Yamuna level nears historic low of 667 feet, Delhi starts to feel the pinch‘There is no water left’“There is no water left in the remaining section to take this heavy boat upstream as its base will get stuck in the sand. It needs deep water for movement but even 6-7 feet deep navigable water is not available,” the official said, requesting anonymity since even taking pictures of the boat has been barred by authorities.“The boat is unlikely to be launched even in June,” the official said. These are the hottest months in the city and, generally, 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 BJP government in power. However, the launch was delayed because work was still going on.ALSO READ: Delhi seeks additional water from Haryana to maintain Yamuna e-flowWhat ministry had saidLast month, the Union minister for ports, shipping, and waterways Sarbananda Sonowal announced the service will be launched in May. But, the service has yet to be launched. During a spot check, both on Monday and Tuesday, HT found that the proposed upstream route is largely dry with small shallow pools, barely 2-3ft deep. While the station for the cruise service at Sonia Vihar sports club is almost ready, four workers attempting to navigate the boat were unable move out of a pool of water in its immediate vicinity.The next possible launch dates could be after summer ends, but the start of monsoons would have its own issues. “It will be a risky affair to run the service in monsoon season when the river swells above the warning level. The latest Indore accident has further increased the wariness of operations in unstable waters. The final decision will be taken by the government,” a second operator told HT.Tourism minister Kapil Mishra did not respond to HT’s queries.A senior government official, asking not to be named, said that ferry will not start any time soon. “The service is not likely to start at least in the summers. The water level in the river is too low for navigation. The inland waterways authority and Delhi government will jointly decide a launch date at a suitable time.”Experts said that the ecotourism, water sports, and cruise plan seems to be poorly thought out. Bhim Singh Rawat, a Yamuna activist and member of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), said that the rejuvenation of the river should the first priority and the eco-tourism and water sports should only come later. “The river is struggling to get a basic minimum environmental flow. Barely 350 cusecs of water is being released from the Hathinikund, while the river needs at least 1500 cusecs of water. A similar plan to run taxi in the stretch had failed in the past but no lessons have been learnt.”In 2015, the IWAI proposed a water taxi service from Sonia Vihar to Tronica City, covering 16 km. In 2019, the then Union minister of shipping Mansukh Mandaviya even inspected this water taxi project by the IWAI at Sonia Vihar. However, the plan largely remained on paper due to feasibility concerns. In 2021, the Delhi government rejected the proposal citing severe pollution and inadequate water levels.In June 2023, a 11-metre Indian Navy boat (Barasingha) brought to Delhi to survey the Yamuna’s navigability got stuck in the river because of severe lack of depth. The boat required a minimum depth 2 metres, but due to years of accumulated silt and sewage, the riverbed in that stretch was only 0.9 to 1 metre deep. The boat, which was planned to be docked at the Delhi Boat Club at the Chandgi Ram Akhada near Civil Lines, was offloaded on the river’s banks near Signature Bridge three days ago. The vessel has, however, failed to set sail due to low depth and the project never took off.Built by Mumbai-based Inspiration Marine Pvt Ltd, the cruise vessel — Island Boats 40 (IB 40) — is a 40-foot river cruise boat with a catamaran-style hull designed for stability. It has a beam of 11 feet and a draft of 3 feet, allowing it to operate in shallow river stretches. The boat has 2 x 40 hp electric motors powered by a battery pack.The government had earlier announced that the cruise initiative is being developed at an estimated cost of ₹20 crore.It will offer passengers “panoramic views of the ghats and the natural landscape along the riverbanks”. The tickets are likely to be priced around ₹500 per person. The vessel will include boarding zones, ticket counters, and waiting areas.Last year, the Delhi government announced a cruise service on the Yamuna as part of its river rejuvenation and tourism development plan. On March 11, 2025, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with multiple Delhi government agencies, including the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), and the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). This MoU aimed to develop and promote cruise tourism along a 5km stretch of the Yamuna River (National Waterway 110 since 2016) between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur.