E-Paper
Delhi’s Yamuna cruise sets sail; residents debate tourism and pollution concerns
Delhi’s first Yamuna cruise offers a new way to see the river. Its launch has prompted prominent residents to weigh in on pollution and the waterway’s future.
Prefer HTon Google
Delhi has now got a new tourist attraction: first-ever recreational river cruise service on the Yamuna river, which was launched on Tuesday.
What’s with the cruise?
The service will operate along a 5km stretch between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur, with each ride expected to be 35 to 45 minutes long. The electric-powered vessels will have a capacity of up to 30 passengers and are expected to be equipped with air-conditioning, life jackets and bio-toilets. The ticket price is expected to be around ₹500 per person, though an official fare announcement is awaited.
The initiative aimed at promoting river-based tourism and creating a new recreational destination in the capital. The Yamuna has been designated as National Waterway-110 under the National Waterways Act, 2016. The riverfront stretch is also being developed with facilities such as food kiosks, a restaurant, a children’s zone and other public amenities.
AQI 300+ : Are residents giving a green flag to cruising along Delhi?
Deepa Malik, Paralympian, says: “A lot of developed cities have cruises on their rivers, and if we aspire to become a Viksit Bharat, this is a step in that direction. We have a beautiful, historic city and river. The cruise is a humble reminder of the Yamuna’s significance and Delhi’s heritage. But the onus is also on citizens to keep our air and water clean. People saw the AQI deteriorate on Diwali night, yet they continued bursting crackers. It is time residents took responsibility and said no to crackers. After all, it is a demand-and-supply game. If people stop buying them, the supply will eventually fall.”
Samar Jodha, transdisciplinary artist, says: “In Mumbai, tour operators charged visitors to walk through Dharavi, and people argued about it because outsiders were paying to look at other people’s hardship, though I know it was never that simple and some of those tours did put money back into the community. With the Yamuna cruise it is our own damage, something all of us have done to the river as citizens, and now we are being asked to pay to look at it, except the boat runs on the stretch above Wazirabad, which was picked because the water is still clean there, before the drains come in. The Yamuna most of Delhi crosses every day, at ITO or Nizamuddin, is further down, well past where the ride turns back. In November, with the air the way it is, I doubt you can see across the water from the deck anyway.”
Odissi dance guru Sonal Mansingh says: “The cruise is beginning today, and it is auspicious that this initiative is being launched on the Yamuna, the great river associated with Shri Krishna. I believe it will bring positivity to Delhi. I am a firm believer in positive action. Yamunaji deserves our respect, affection and admiration, and I hope the cruise will also offer people information about the river’s importance and significance. I hope to take the cruise one day, enjoy the experience and offer my prayers to the river.”
