New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the world's longest river cruise, MV Ganga Vilas, on Friday in a bid to boost cruise tourism and also lay the foundation stones for several other inland waterways projects worth more than Rs 1,000 crore. On the longest river cruise project, PM Modi said the 51-day river cruise is a unique opportunity to connect with the country's cultural roots and discover beautiful aspects of its diversity.
The Prime Minister will also inaugurate a 'Tent City' on the banks of the Ganga river in Varanasi through video conferencing. The 'Tent City' will be operational from October to June every year and will be dismantled for three months due to the rise in river water level in the rainy season.
MV Ganga Vilas
MV Ganga Vilas will mark its journey from Varanasi and continue to sail around 3,200 km in 51 days to reach Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh passing through 27 river systems in the two countries, the PMO said in a statement. The cruise has been advertised since 2018 and was scheduled to debut in 2020. However, the project was pushed back in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The cruiser has been designed with three decks, 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists, and equipped with all luxury amenities. The maiden voyage has 32 tourists from Switzerland signing up for the entire length of the journey, it noted.
The cruise has been designed to bring out the best of the country to be showcased to the world. The cruise is planned in a way that tourists will get to explore 50 tourist spots, including world heritage sites, 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.
The journey will give the tourists an opportunity to embark upon an experiential voyage and indulge in the art, culture, history, and spirituality of India and Bangladesh.
Tent City Project
On the other hand, the 'Tent City' at Varanasi on the banks of the River Ganga aims to tap the potential of tourism in the region, the PMO said. The project developed opposite city ghats will provide accommodation facilities and cater to manage the influx of tourists in Varanasi, especially since the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham.
The city has been developed by the Varanasi Development Authority in PPP mode. The tourists will reach the 'Tent City' by boats from different ghats situated in the vicinity.
Other projects to be inaugurated today
Among other projects, PM Modi will inaugurate Haldia Multi Modal Terminal in West Bengal. The terminal, developed under Jal Marg Vikas Project, will have a cargo handling capacity of around over three Million Metric Tonne Per Annum (MMTPA) and the berths are designed to handle vessels up to around 3000 Deadweight tonnage (DWT).
The Prime Minister will also launch four floating community jetties at Saidpur, Chochakpur, Zamania in Ghazipur district and at Kanspur in Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh. Apart from this, Modi will also lay a foundation stone for the five community jetties at Digha, Nakta Diyara, Barh, Panapur in Patna district, and Hasanpur in Samastipur district in Bihar.
More than 60 community jetties are being constructed along Ganga across the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal to boost economic activities and improve the livelihood of local communities in the region, the PMO said.
The community jetties would play a key role in improving the livelihoods of people by providing simple logistics solutions for small farmers, fishery units, unorganised farm producing units, horticulturists, florists, and artisans focussing on economic activities in and around the hinterland of Ganga.
Modi will also inaugurate Maritime Skill Development Centre for North East at Guwahati. It aims to hone the rich talent pool in the North Eastern region and will provide better employment opportunities in the burgeoning logistics industry.
The PM will also lay the foundation stone for a ship repair facility and an elevated road at Pandu Terminal in Guwahati. The ship repair facility at the Pandu Terminal is aimed at saving valuable time as it takes more than a month for a ship to be transported to the Kolkata repair facility and back.
Besides, it will also result in huge savings in terms of money as the transportation cost of the ship will also be saved. The dedicated road connecting the Pandu Terminal to NH 27 will enable 24-hour connectivity, the PMO informed.
(With Agency Inputs)