PM MODI Launches Longest River Cruise in the World; Costs Rs. 20 Lakhs

On Friday, Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate and lay the cornerstones for a number of other projects in addition to launching the longest river cruise in the world, the MV Ganga Vilas, via video link.

The MV Ganga Vilas will set off from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and cruise 3,200 kilometres through Bangladesh in 51 days to reach Dibrugarh in Assam.

Varanasi: On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the cornerstones for a number of other projects in addition to launching the longest river cruise in the world, the MV Ganga Vilas, via video link.
The first cruise ship ever built in India is the world’s longest river cruise, the MV Ganga Vilas. According to an official of Port, Shipping and Waterways who spoke to ANI, this represents Atmanirbhar Bharat, or Self-reliant India, in the river cruise industry.

The MV Ganga Vilas will set off from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and cruise 3,200 kilometres through Bangladesh in 51 days to reach Dibrugarh in Assam.

Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, as well as other Ministers and top officials from other Ministries and Departments, would be present for the flag-off ceremony.

According to Union Minister for Port Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, on its maiden voyage, the MV Ganga Vilas will travel 27 river systems, carrying 32 tourists from Switzerland, and stop at a number of well-known locations along the river banks in Varanasi, Patna, Kolkata, Bangladesh, Guwahati, and Sibsagar/Dibrugarh.

Foreign visitors would have the chance to experience the art, culture, history, and spirituality of India and Bangladesh through the journey, according to Mr. Sonowal.

The Union Minister added that PM Narendra Modi’s aim of turning waterways into a source of national growth has culminated with this voyage. More than 100 waterways are being built in different parts of India to help with the ecosystem development along the waterways, which will increase cruise tourists, benefit nearby businesses along the riverbanks, and help local economies expand.

Read Also: Who is Mohan Bhagwat who allows Muslims to reside in India?”

The modernist ship is 62 metres long, 12 metres broad, and needs a draught of 1.4 metres. It was built to honour Indian and world design. The ship can accommodate 36 persons in total with its 18 suites and all of its amenities.

The “River Cruise Vision Document 2047” that PM will publish outlines its goals for the development and expansion of river cruise by the year 2047.

The PM will also open the Haldia Multi-Modal Terminal, four floating community jetties in Uttar Pradesh, and the Guwahati Skill Development Center in Assam at the occasion.

IWAI has launched a number of projects, including the Haldia MMT, to support the expansion of water transport in India. In the state of West Bengal, the industrial port city of Haldia is situated where the River Hoogly and the Bay of Bengal meet. Haldia’s favourable location gives it a competitive logistics edge with regard to the waterways. It offers the chance to import and export goods at very reasonable prices. The Haldia Multi-Modal Terminal (MMT), part of the Jal Marg Vikas Project, was built on 61 acres in the Purba Medinipur District of West Bengal and has a 3.08 MMTPA cargo handling capacity. The berths are made to accommodate ships up to 3000 DWT.

“At Saidpur (Ghazipur), Chochakpur (Ghazipur), Zamania (Ghazipur), and Kanpur (Ballia) in Uttar Pradesh, floating community jetties will be officially opened. More than 60 community jetties are being built along the Ganga River in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal to improve local economies and quality of life “The Ministry representative added.

The community jetties, according to a representative of Port, Shipping and Waterways, aim for inclusive growth and will be crucial in enhancing people’s quality of life by offering straightforward logistics solutions for small farmers, fishery units, an unorganised farm-producing unit, horticulturists, florists, and artisans who concentrate on business ventures in & around the Ganga’s hinterland.

Skilled labour is required in the business due to the IWT sector’s rapid development and growth. A skill development centre has been established in Guwahati for the navigation and engineering staff of inland vessels because skill development is one of the key factors in the growth of any industry. With the assistance of the National Inland Navigation Institute (NINI), Patna and the IIT, Guwahati, this centre will offer courses in inland navigation, inland engineering, fairway development, safety, and other topics.

People from the North-eastern Region will benefit from the skill centre in Guwahati by improving their competence and employability in the IWT sector.

PM will also officially lay the groundwork for an elevated road and a ship repair facility at Pandu Terminal. Direct access to NH 27 will be made possible by the elevated road. As it takes more than a month to transport a ship to and from the Kolkata Repair facility, the Ship Repair will help save a lot of time. Additionally, it will result in significant financial savings because the ship’s transportation costs will be reduced.