The Ganga cruise vessel sailed as per its schedule, said a government statement on Monday, amid reports that the luxury vessel was stuck in Bihar’s Chhapra on Monday. The ship was anchored at Ghazipur on January13, 2023, Buxar on January 14, and Mauzampur (Arrah) on January 15, as per schedule, the government statement said. After stopping at Doriganj on January 16, the cruise vessel reached Patna on January 16 at 4.45pm, it said. All through its journey, the waterway levels were fully maintained and monitored for the required draft of navigation facilities, the statement said.
“The Ganga Villas reached Patna as per schedule. There is absolutely no truth in the news that the vessel is stuck in Chhapra. The vessel will continue its onwards journey as per schedule” : Sanjay Bandopadhyaya, Chairman, IWAI
— IWAI (@IWAI_ShipMin) January 16, 2023
As per the planned itinerary, the tourists also visited destinations en-route. Tourists were taken to the bank from the vessel using the tug boat to ensure their safety and privacy, said the government statement, adding that the draft of waterway at Doriganj is 3.5m much above the vessel draft requirement of 1.4m. “There is absolutely no truth in the news that the vessel is stuck at Chhapra, said the government, adding that the anchoring place and mode of transport of tourists to the bank is decided by the cruise operator depending on safety and privacy of its passengers.
Policemen watch the MV Ganga Vilas set sail on the River Ganga after it was flagged-off remotely by PM Narendra Modi on January 13. (AP)
On Monday, it was reported that the Ganga Vilas cruise, flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi on January 13, got stuck in Bihar’s Chhapra due to shallow water in the Ganga. The cruise, which was scheduled to dock at the shore for the tourists to visit Chirand, an archaeological site, got stuck because of water deficiency in the Ganges near the Doriganj area of the district. However, owing to the shallow water at the shore, it was difficult to bring the cruise to the shore, officials said.
“An SDRF team is stationed at the ghat so that immediate action can be taken on any untoward situation. Due to less water, there is a problem in bringing the cruise to the shore. Therefore, efforts are being made to bring tourists through small boats,” said an ANI report, quoting Chhapra’s CO Satendra Singh.
People aboard the world’s longest river cruise MV Ganga Vilas after it was flagged off. (PTI)
However, Raj Singh, Founder & CEO of Antara Cruises, which is operating MV Ganga Vilas, told The Indian Express on Monday evening that the news is incorrect. “The ship is anchored now in Patna as per schedule,” he said, adding that “big ships can’t go to the shore when there is less water, so you have to use small ships or tenders to disembark”.
The trip, which costs Rs 50,000 per day for a person, has vegetarian meals served on board. However, Singh says any specific dietary needs are catered. The maiden voyage has 32 tourists from Switzerland signing up for the entire length of the journey. The luxury triple-deck cruise – which can house 36 passengers in 18 suites – is scheduled to travel on what is being called the world’s longest waterway.
During its 51-day voyage, the cruise will travel 3,200km across 27 river systems, and cover 50 tourist destinations, including world heritage sites, national parks, river gorges, and major cities. After Patna, the next scheduled stop is Shahibganj in Jharkhand, followed by Kolkata (West Bengal), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Guwahati (Assam) and finally in Dibrugarh on March 1.
