Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected in Uttar Pradesh tomorrow to inaugurate several infrastructure projects, including the world's longest river cruise, a riverside ‘tent city’ and several other inland waterways projects worth over Rs 1,000 crore.

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MV Ganga Vilas

Modi will flag off luxury river cruise MV Ganga Vilas on Friday, January 13, which is stipulated to be the longest river cruise in the world spanning 3,200 km and covers over 25 rivers across India and Bangladesh. Operated by Antara Cruises, the journey is a "unique" opportunity connecting India's cultural roots and diverse beauty, the prime minister said.

The maiden voyage begins tomorrow in Varanasi and will take 51 days before it reaches its destination in Assam's Dibrugarh after passing through Bangladesh. It will dock on March 1, 2023.

According to official sources, 32 tourists from Switzerland will be on board the cruise.

"I request that the people of West Bengal take advantage of this," PM Modi said.

The cruise will travel through 50 major tourist destinations such as the Ganga Aarti, Kaziranga National Park and the Sundarbans in India. The cruise will traverse through the West Coast Canal, Brahmaputra river, Meghna and the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly.

Also read: Ganga Vilas, world’s longest river cruise, to set off on January 13: All you need to know

“Because of the increased focus of the government on development and maintenance of inland waterways, we have taken up several projects to increase the depth, set up necessary navigation facilities and jetties for successful operation of both passenger and cargo vessels," an official from the Inland Waterways Authority of India told the Times of India.

The vessel is 62 metres long, 12 metres wide and has a draught of 1.4 metres. It has three decks and 18 suites on board with a capacity to host 36 tourists.

Modi had tweeted about National Ganga Council meeting on December 30, 2022 and highlighted the need to boost tourism infrastructure along the river to provide livelihood opportunities to several people.

Tent City

Developed on the lines of the Rann Utsav concept, a tent city has been conceptualised on the banks of the Ganga, which Modi will inaugurate tomorrow (January 13). Situated opposite the city ghats, the tent city will be accessible to tourists via boats and will provide them with accommodation facilities.

It will be operational annually from October to June and has been developed by the Varanasi Development Authority. The agency will dismantle the tents for three months due to the rise in water levels in the river during monsoons.

Inland waterways

Modi will also inaugurate a Rs 1,000-crore inland waterways project, essential for industrial development. “In ancient times, waterways were extensively used for trade and tourism. That’s why several towns sprang up along river banks, and there was industrial development," he explained.

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)