Proposed Yamuna cruise tourism a ‘misguided’ exercise: Delhi Congress

Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO

The Delhi unit of the Congress on Wednesday said that the BJP government’s “cruise tourism” in the Yamuna is a “misguided” exercise and that the government should first clean up the toxic river before adding more pollution to it through the project.

On Tuesday, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with multiple agencies of the Delhi government, including the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), to develop and boost cruise tourism on a four-kilometre stretch on River Yamuna (National Waterway 110) between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur. The MoU says that to ensure sustainable and non-polluting water transport, electric-solar hybrid boats—each capable of carrying 20-30 passengers—will be deployed as river cruise vessels.

Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav said that similar to the previous Aam Aadmi Party government, the BJP government is also squandering tax payers’ money on “gimmicks” rather than taking effective steps to tackle the pollution.

“Until the dirty water is flushed out, no tourist will take a boat ride in the river. The only purpose that would be served by the cruise tourism would be to drown crores of public money, as has been done by the AAP government, which squandered ₹6856 crore on ‘cleaning’ the Yamuna,” Mr. Yadav said.

The Congress leader said that it was surprising that the authorities were “so quick to sign an agreement”. “With a double-engine government at the Centre as well as in Delhi, it would be easy for the BJP government to shoulder the task of cleaning the Yamuna. It should first clean the river so that people can not only take a cruise ride in clean waters, but also take a dip in the waters while holding religious events like the Chhath Puja, Durga Puja and Ganesh Chaturthi,” he said.

Published – March 13, 2025 01:28 am IST

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