Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday attended the ‘Holi Milan Samaroh’ at Shalimar Bagh Club Society, where she celebrated the festival with residents and made a major announcement about boosting river transport in the capital.
Addressing the gathering, CM Gupta said, “Today, we have signed an MoU, and soon a ‘small ferry’ cruise will start on River Yamuna. It will begin in 3-4 months, enhancing connectivity and tourism in the capital.” She also highlighted ongoing efforts to clean the Yamuna River, emphasizing the commitment to restoring its health. “The task of cleaning the Yamuna is not going to stop now. The huge team working on it will do the work on a daily basis. We are not wasting even a second in cleaning the Yamuna River. Soon, the people of Delhi will sit on the banks of the Yamuna and witness the grand Yamuna Aarti like the Ganga Aarti of Banaras,” she added.
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) for National Waterways, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with multiple Delhi government agencies on Tuesday. These include the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), and the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).
The MoU aims to develop and promote cruise tourism on a four-kilometre stretch of River Yamuna (National Waterway 110) between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur. The signing ceremony was held at Asita Park and was attended by several prominent leaders, including Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of State for MoPSW Shantanu Thakur, and senior officials.
Improving the condition of the Yamuna has been a key agenda for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since forming the government in the national capital. Last week, Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa met with the Lieutenant Governor to discuss Yamuna’s condition and other pressing environmental issues in the city.
Following the meeting, Sirsa described the discussions as “detailed and positive,” reaffirming the Delhi government’s commitment to tackling pollution and restoring the river’s health. “CM Rekha Gupta-led Delhi government is working constantly, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision,” he stated.
