Ganga Villas Cruise Reached Patna as Per Schedule, Report of it Being Stuck in Bihar Untrue, Says IWAI

The luxury triple-deck cruise will travel on the world's longest waterway from Varanasi to Dibrugarh in Assam.

Chhapra: Refuting the reports of Ganga Villas Cruise being stuck in Bihar’s Chhapra due to shallow water in the Ganga, Sanjay Bandopadhyaya, Chairman, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) informed that the Ganga Villas Cruise reached Patna as per the schedule and there is no truth in the news that the vessel is stuck in Chhapra, Bihar. “The vessel will continue its onward journey as per schedule,” Bandopadhyaya said.

Earlier, it was reported that the flagship Ganga Vilas Cruise got stuck in Bihar’s Chhapra due to shallow water in the Ganga. According to an ANI report quoting officials, 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.

Chirand Saran, situated 11 km southeast of Chhapra near Doriganj Bazar, is the most important archaeological site of the district. Stupanuma fillings built on the banks of the Ghaghra river are said to be associated with Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim influences. However, owing to the shallow water at the shore, it was difficult to bring the cruise to the shore, officials said.

Upon receipt of the information, the SDRF team reached the spot to rescue the tourists through a small boat so that they do not face difficulties in reaching Chirand Saran.

Chhapra’s CO Satendra Singh, who is a part of the arrangement-making team, said that adequate arrangements have been made for the tourists in Chirand.

“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,” he said.

Here are some interesting facts about the cruise:

1. PM Modi had flagged off the cruise from Varanasi on January 13.
2. The luxury triple-deck cruise will travel on the world’s longest waterway from Varanasi to Dibrugarh in Assam.
3. The cruise has a capacity of 80 passengers with 18 suits.
4. This cruise will go on an adventurous journey for 51 days and pass through Bangladesh for 15 days.
5. Following this, it will go to Dibrugarh through the Brahmaputra river in Assam.
6. The luxury cruise will cover a distance of more than 3,200 kms and pass through 5 states in India and Bangladesh.
7. This cruise will pass through a total of 27 river systems of UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Bangladesh, and Assam. The cruise will pass through three major rivers Ganga, Meghna, and Brahmaputra.
8. The cruise will enter the Bhagirathi, Hooghly, Bidyavati, Malata, and Sundarbans river systems in Bengal.
9. In Bangladesh, it will pass through Meghna, Padma, and Jamuna in Bangladesh and then enter the Brahmaputra in Assam.

Ganga Vilas Cruise Fare:

Ganga Vilas Cruise also has special features. Its speed is up to 12 kilometres per hour upstream and 20 kilometres downstream. The cruise has an RO system for drinking water, along with a sewage treatment plant. The cruise has all the necessary facilities for the convenience of the people and their needs. Its fare in India is ₹ 25,000 a day, while in Bangladesh the fare is ₹ 50,000 a day.