Is Ganga Vilas, world's longest cruise stuck in Bihar? Know the truth

The Ganga cruise vessel sailed as per its schedule, the government said amid reports that the luxury vessel was stuck in Bihar's Chhapra said on Monday.

New Delhi, Jan 17: The Centre on Monday rubbished reports of MV Ganga Vilas Cruise, the world's longest river cruise, getting stuck in Bihar's Chhapra district due to shallow water in the Ganga.

"There is a fake news being spread regarding Ganga Vilas with malicious intent by the usual suspects," tweeted Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal.

Sanjay Bandopadhyaya, Chairman, Inland Waterways Authority of India also refuted reports saying, Ganga Vilas reached Patna as per schedule and there is absolutely no truth in the news that the vessel is stuck in Chhapra.

"The Ganga Villas reached Patna as per schedule. There is absolutely no truth in the news that the vessel is stuck in Chhapra. The vessel will continue its onwards journey as per schedule", tweeted Sanjay Bandopadhyaya, Chairman, IWAI.

The cruise, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 13, couldn't reach the shore, resultantly SDRF team rushed to ferry tourists onboard the cruise, ANI had reported.

"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," said Chhapra's Circle Officer Satendra Singh, who is a part of the arrangement-making team, as reported by ANI.

The luxury triple-deck cruise from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh was supposed to dock at at the shore for the tourists to visit Chirand, an archaeological site.

The cruise will travel around 3,200 km in 51 days to reach Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh, sailing across 27 river systems in India and Bangladesh.

The 51 days cruise is planned with visits to 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.

MV Ganga Vilas has three decks, 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists, with all the luxury amenities. The maiden voyage has 32 tourists from Switzerland signing up for the entire length of the journey.

An-all inclusive package with expeditions, sightseeing and entertainment is priced at around Rs 25,000 per person per night, which would be around Rs 20 lakh for the 51-day journey.