(MENAFN- Colombo Gazette) When Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off the Ganga Vilas cruise from Varanasi to Dibrugarh via Bangladesh on January 13, it will not only add an attraction to the country's tourism circuit, but will be a game-changer for cross-border trade as well.
It costs 10 times less to move cargo a kilometre by river than by roads and highways, using about a fifth of the fuel road transport does. This also means substantial reduction in carbon emissions. In 2020, a foundational protocol on inland water transit was signed between India and Bangladesh, which added new waterways and ports of call to tripura . As a result, there are now 10 specific routes along shared and intersecting river systems.
In fact, a vessel, carrying 200 metric tonne of foodgrain sailed from Patna in Bihar to Pandu in Assam using these inland waterways last year.
From the northeast as well, a fully functional river transportation network enables cargo to be ferried from Assam on the Brahmaputra into bangladesh . The vessel can then head to Chattogram or Haldia and sail westwards along the Ganga to multimodal terminals at Sahibganj or Varanasi. Interestingly, Sahibganj MMT has been touted to be a mini Rotterdam of sorts. And, just as Rotterdam provided waterway access to the heart of western Europe, this MMT, too, could provide Indo-nepal cargo connectivity through the waterways route, besides providing industries of Jharkhand and Bihar access to the global market. Bangladesh will also find it easier to ship its garments and other goods to Indian markets through the riverine route.
However, greater private sector participation will be necessary to make a success of river cruises or cargo movement through inland waterways, as shifting channels and silt pose obstructions to the uninterrupted movement of vessels. There is also a need for a proper regulatory framework that will govern waterway trade, including cross-border river management. Then there is the issue of livelihood of people impacted by river trade and transit, such as fishermen and boatmen residing alongside the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers.
For now, tourists can enjoy the 3,200-km journey of 50 days through 27 river systems in India and Bangladesh, including the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly, Brahmaputra and West Coast Canal.
The luxury cruise vessel, Ganga Vilas, has a capacity of 80 passengers with 18 suites and facilities like a gym, spa, open-air observation deck and personalised butler service, among others, and its launch will undoubtedly showcase Incredible India at a time the country heads the G-20. The cruise liner, to be run by a private operator, will arrive in Patna on the eighth day from Varanasi, after passing through Ghazipur, Buxar and Ramnagar. From Patna, the next destination is Kolkata, which it will reach on the 20th day via Farakka, Jangipur and Murshidabad. Then it will head towards Dhaka and remain in Bangladeshi waters for the next 15 days. Ganga Vilas will enter Assam through Dhubri and Guwahati towards its final destination at Dibrugarh.
Throughout this long journey, tourists can soak in the sights and sounds of 50 different destinations on the river banks that have religious and cultural significance, like the Ganga Aarti at Varanasi. A famous yearly cattle and elephant fair at Sonepur, on the northern bank of the Ganga, is held in November. Similarly, the Bateshwar Sthan ghat at Bhagalpur is located 4-5 km from the historical ruins of Vikramshila, which, together with the Dolphin Sanctuary, acts a religious and tourist attraction according to a CUTS and Asia Foundation report on Expanding Tradable Benefits of Inland Waterways. The itinerary includes the protected Sundarbans Delta. (financialexpress)