New Delhi, May 28 -- The prospects of Delhi government's plan to launch its ferry service on the Yamuna seem to be drying up with the water levels of the river. On Tuesday, the boat, which is ready for service, stood covered with blue tarp against the bank near the river's Wazirabad-Sonia Vihar stretch. Around it, barely a few metres of water were visible. An official associated with the service told HT that, currently, cruise boat "can only move a few hundred metres". This throws cold water on the proposed one-hour boat ride over a 5km route, from Sonia Vihar to Jagatpur. "There is no water left in the remaining section to take this heavy boat upstream as its base will get stuck in the sand. It needs deep water for movement but even 6-7 feet deep navigable water is not available," the official said, requesting anonymity since even taking pictures of the boat has been barred by authorities. "The boat is unlikely to be launched even in June," the official said. These are the hottest months in the city and, generally, also the driest for the river. The service was earlier supposed to be launched on February 20 to coincide with the completion of one year of BJP government in power. However, the launch was delayed because work was still going on. Last month, the Union minister for ports, shipping, and waterways Sarbananda Sonowal announced the service will be launched in May. But, the service has yet to be launched. During a spot check, both on Monday and Tuesday, HT found that the proposed upstream route is largely dry with small shallow pools, barely 2-3ft deep. While the station for the cruise service at Sonia Vihar sports club is almost ready, four workers attempting to navigate the boat were unable move out of a pool of water in its immediate vicinity. The next possible launch dates could be after summer ends, but the start of monsoons would have its own issues. "It will be a risky affair to run the service in monsoon season when the river swells above the warning level. The latest Indore accident has further increased the wariness of operations in unstable waters. The final decision will be taken by the government," a second operator told HT. Tourism minister Kapil Mishra did not respond to HT's queries....