PIB Policy Dossier: यमुना मनोरंजक क्रूज़ सेवा के शुभारंभ के साथ दिल्ली में रिवर टूरिज्म यानी नदी पर्यटन की शुरुआत

### यमुना मनोरंजक क्रूज़ सेवा के शुभारंभ के साथ दिल्ली में रिवर टूरिज्म यानी नदी पर्यटन की शुरुआत **Syllabus Mapping:** Inland Waterways · Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways · Tourism Sector > Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated Delhi's first recreational 'Yamuna River Cruise' service on the Sonia Vihar-Jagatpur route, featuring a 30-seater electric vessel. | Parameter | Policy Specification | | --- | --- | | **Nodal Authority** | Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) | | **Statutory / Legal Basis** | National Waterways Act, 2016 | | **Target Data / Fiscal Metric** | Cargo traffic on national waterways increased from 18 million metric tonnes in 2013-14 to 218 million metric tonnes in 2025-26; freight cost is approximately Rs 1.06 per tonne-km for waterways compared to Rs 1.41 for railways and Rs 2.28 for roadways. | **🎯 Prelims Trap Radar** - Confusing the statutory backing of Yamuna as National Waterway-110 under the National Waterways Act, 2016 with other major national waterways like NW-1 (Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system). **🏛️ Mains Analytical Dimensions** - **Context & Origin:** The launch of the Yamuna River Cruise service in Delhi marks a significant step towards integrating urban riverfront development with sustainable inland water transport. - **Core Implications & Trade-offs:** Inland waterways offer a cost-effective and low-emission alternative to road and rail freight while simultaneously unlocking urban tourism potential and generating local employment. - **Strategic Way Forward:** Scaling up clean energy electric vessels, ensuring continuous ecological flow and pollution abatement in urban river stretches, and integrating multi-modal transport hubs. **📚 Static Textbook Linkages** - **National Waterways in India:** Study the constitutional provisions regarding waterways (Union List entry 24) and the enactment of the National Waterways Act, 2016 consolidating 111 national waterways.