1 2 Varanasi: Introduction of the luxurious cruise MV Bengal Ganga on Ganga sparked protests, as boatmen surrounded it with their boats near Namo Ghat and demanded its removal, on Wednesday. A delegation of boatmen associated with Maa Ganga Nishadraj Seva Nyas met district officials and submitted a memorandum, stating that introduction of cruises and Ro-Ro vessels by different companies, who were not from their fraternity, posed threat to their traditional occupation of sailing boats to earn a livelihood. They mentioned that when cruises were introduced, boatmen launched agitations, after which the site of their anchoring was shifted to Ravidas Ghat.
They questioned why a new cruise was being allowed to continue at Namo Ghat. They pointed out that, on one hand, huge budgets were allocated to make Ganga free of pollution, while on the other hand, big cruise ships with hotel-like facilities were being allowed. Founder chairman of Antara Cruises —Heritage River Journeys Pvt Ltd, Raj Singh, said local boatmen should not worry about the arrival of MV Bengal Ganga and explained that clients book packages would depend on local boatmen to see the Ganga Aarti or visit Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Sarnath, or other places, which in turn would boost the economy and benefit local boatmen.
On the other hand, he added thaty cruising of big luxurious ships would encourage agencies like the Inland Waterways Authority of India to maintain proper flow of water in Ganga, essential to keep the riv.