Press Information Bureau (PIB) shared that the flagship Ganga Vilas Cruise, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, did not get stuck on the third day of its 51-day journey in Bihar’s Chhapra as claimed by news organisations.
As per the online reports, 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 in the district. Stupanuma fillings built on the banks of the Ghaghra river are seen to be associated with Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim influences.
However, PIB has dismissed such reports and said that the claim which originated from a report by news agencies is false, and the cruise reached Patna as per schedule.
.@ANI has claimed that #GangaVilasCruise is stuck in Chhapra due to shallow water. #PIBFactCheck
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) January 16, 2023
▪️ This claim is #Fake.
▪️ The cruise is not stuck & has reached Patna as per schedule.
Read More👇
🔗https://t.co/1ehLEHVWiP pic.twitter.com/CdMzjOJTLj
Meanwhile, Raj Singh, Chairman of Exotic Heritage Group which is operating the Ganga Vilas cruise, also told NDTV that the cruise was never stuck. He explained that the main ship always remains in the main channel, normal for cruise ships, and the travelers take smaller boats to go and do sightseeing.
Ganga Vilas- The longest river cruise ship in the world
Ganga Vilas is the longest motor cruise ship in the world. It was flagged off on January 13, 2023, by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It will cover a distance of a whopping 3200 km in 50 days. During the course of its journey, ‘Ganga Vilas’ will pass through 27 river systems in both India and Bangladesh, including the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. This longest voyage by a river ship will mark the entry of India and Bangladesh into the world’s river cruise map.
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 Rs 25,000 a day, while in Bangladesh the fare is Rs 50,000 a day.
The luxury triple-deck cruise will travel on the world’s longest waterway from Varanasi to Dibrugarh in Assam. The cruise has a capacity of 80 passengers with 18 suits. This cruise will go on an adventurous journey for 51 days and pass through Bangladesh for 15 days. Following this, it will go to Dibrugarh through the Brahmaputra river in Assam.
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. The cruise will enter the Bhagirathi, Hooghly, Bidyavati, Malata, and Sundarbans river systems in Bengal.
In Bangladesh, it will pass through Meghna, Padma, and Jamuna in Bangladesh and then enter the Brahmaputra in Assam.
According to an official statement, the 51 days cruise is planned with visits to 50 tourist spots including 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.
*This report has been updated as per the information provided by PIB
