Ganga Vilas cruise stuck in Bihar on Day 3: Reports
What's the story
The luxury river cruise ship—MV Ganga Vilas—inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week is stuck in Bihar's Chhapra, ANI reported. It completed three days of its 51-day journey and was to dock at the shore for tourists to visit Chirand, an archaeological site. However, the vessel reportedly got stuck near Doriganj and couldn't be moved due to the shallow water in River Ganga.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Dubbed the world's longest river cruise, Ganga Vilas was flagged off by PM Modi from Varanasi on Friday. It was scheduled to traverse 3,200km to reach Assam's Dibrugarh in 51 days via five Indian states and parts of Bangladesh. Notably, 32 Swiss tourists are taking the maiden voyage. The 51-day journey can cost up to Rs. 40 lakh, depending on the type of accommodation.
Details
SDRF team called to evacuate onboard tourists
According to officials, it was nearly impossible to bring the cruise ship to the shore at Saran district's Chirand due to water deficiency, reported ANI. Bihar's State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team had to be deployed to take the passengers to Chirand using small boats. Meanwhile, stranded tourists have been provided with all necessary facilities, according to Chhapra's Circle Officer Satendra Singh.
About
A little about Chirand archaeological site
According to reports, Chirand is located near Doriganj Bazar and is 11 kilometers away from Chhapra. It is considered as one of the most prominent archaeological sites in the district. There are Stupanuma fillings on the banks of the Ghaghra River, which are believed to have an association with several religions like Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism.
Features
Luxury cruise ship has 18 luxury suites
According to NDTV, MV Ganga Vilas Cruise has many special features, including a reverse osmosis (RO) system for drinking water and a sewage treatment plant. It has 18 luxury suites that can accommodate 36 passengers. It has a speed of up to 12km/h upstream and 20km/h downstream. Reportedly, the fare for tourists in India is Rs. 25,000/day, while in Bangladesh, it is Rs. 50,000/day.
Journey
Cruise to visit over 50 tourist spots
The cruise was flagged off by PM Modi on Friday (January 13) from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. According to an official statement, the 51-day journey is slated to cover more than 50 tourist spots. These include World Heritage Sights, National Parks, river ghats, and major cities like Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh, and Guwahati in Assam.
Twitter Post
Visuals of PM Modi greeting foreign tourists taking maiden journey
Beginning of cruise service on River Ganga is a landmark moment. It will herald a new age of tourism in India. https://t.co/NOVFLFrroE
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 13, 2023