The MV Ganga Vilas, flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, got stuck in Bihar's Chhapra on the third day of its 51-day journey, reported news agency ANI.
The cruise was scheduled to dock near Chirand Saran, a historically significant area 11 km southeast of Chhapra. However, when it reached Chhapra town in the Saran district, it got stuck due to silt and shallow water.
Following this, arrangements for small boats to ferry the passengers to the riverbank were made by the SDRF. "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," Chhapra's CO Satendra Singh was quoted as saying.
Inland Waterways Authority denies report
Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) refuted the reports of the cruise getting stuck hours after the report came out.
"Ganga Villas Cruise reached Patna as per schedule. No truth in the news that the vessel is stuck in Chhapra, Bihar. The vessel will continue its onward journey as per schedule," the IWAI wrote in a tweet, quoting chairman Sanjay Bandopadhyaya.
About Ganga Vilas cruise
The cruise is supposed to travel 3,200 km through five states in India and parts of Bangladesh over 51 days. Operated by Antara Cruises, it is the first cruise vessel to be made in India.
It will cover 50 tourist destinations, including world heritage sites, national parks, river ghats, and major cities like Patna in Bihar, Shahiganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh, and Guwahati in Assam.
It is scheduled to take pit stops to cover the famous Ganga Arti in Varanasi, the Buddhist site of Sarnath; and even Majuli, the largest river island in Assam.
The cost of the cruise per person per day is around ₹25,000 to ₹50,000. The entire trip costs around Rs 20 lakh per person and the cruise has the capacity of carrying 36 passengers. A total of 32 tourists from Switzerland are taking the first journey of it.
