World’s longest river cruise ‘MV Ganga Vilas’ to culminate its journey in Dibrugarh on February 28

The 'MV Ganga Vilas,' the longest river cruise in the world, which started its voyage on January 13 from Varanasi, will reach its destination, Dibrugarh in Assam, on February 28. The cruise arrived in Bishwanath, Assam on Friday. It had earlier travelled through Bangladesh.

Under the auspices of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways of the Government of India, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) will host a welcoming ceremony at the Bogibeel Bridge in Dibrugarh. Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) Sarbananda Sonowal, as well as other Union Ministers, State Ministers, Diplomats, and IWAI and MoPSW personnel, will attend the event.

The ship, which can accommodate 36 passengers, has three decks and 18 suites on board and was built with a distinctive style and a vision for the future. Before arriving in Dibrugarh, it would have traveled 3,200 kilometers over the course of more than 50 days, stopping at Patna Sahib, Bodh Gaya, Vikramshila, Dhaka, the Sundarbans, and the Kaziranga National Park.

Speaking about the ship, Union Minister Sonowal stated that the MV Ganga Vilas has given India and Bangladesh a prominent place on the global river cruise map, creating a new avenue for travel and trade on the Indian subcontinent.

He said that this route marks the beginning of a new era for the transportation of freight via inland waterways for both Bangladesh and India. He added that tourists now have the chance to embark on an immersive experiential voyage and explore the art, culture, history, and spirituality of Bangladesh and India along the entire route.

According to an official press release from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, transporting freight using National Waterways has enormous potential in the North East (NW). Via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol, these National Waterways connect the hinterlands of Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh with mainland India and the seaports of Kolkata and Haldia.

In the North East, IWAI has completed a number of projects for the development of inland water transport infrastructure, including fairways, terminals, and navigational aids. According to a 2017 IWAI internal analysis, there were 30 MMTPA of cargo transfers within the North East and 49 MMTPA of cargo moves into and out of the region.