New Delhi [India], March 12 (ANI): 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 key announcement regarding river transport in the city.

Addressing the gathering, CM Gupta said, 'Today, we have signed an MoU, and soon a 'small ferry' cruise will start in River Yamuna. It will begin in 3-4 months, enhancing connectivity and tourism in the capital.'

She further emphasised the ongoing efforts to clean the Yamuna, stating, '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.'

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, including the Irrigation and Flood Control department, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), and the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), on Tuesday.

The MoU aims to develop and boost cruise tourism on a four-kilometre stretch on River Yamuna (National Waterway 110) between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur.

The MoU signing ceremony was held at Asita Park and was graced by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena, the Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MOPSW), Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union Minister of State (MoPSW), Shantanu Thakur, and senior officials.

Improving the condition of Yamuna has been one of the foremost agendas of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since forming goverment in the national capital.

Last week, Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa met with Delhi's Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena to discuss the condition of Yamuna and another key environmental issue in the capital.

Sirsa described the meeting as 'detailed and positive,' emphasising that the Delhi government is committed to addressing these concerns.

'I paid a courtesy call to the LG and held a discussion regarding the issue of pollution, garbage and Yamuna pollution in Delhi -- it was a detailed and positive discussion and we also assured all support Delhi government. CM Rekha Gupta led the Delhi government, which is working constantly following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision,' he said. (ANI)