Lok Sabha Question No. 1014 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-27
Subject: Cruise Service on Rivers
Ministry: SHIPPING
Asked by: Sukanta Majumdar, Khagen Murmu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY  OF SHIPPING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1014

TO BE ANSWERED ON 27TH JUNE,2O,I9

## CRUISE SERVICE ON RIVERS

1014. DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR: SHRI KHAGEN MURMU:

Will the Minister of SHIPPING be pleased  to state:

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- (a)  whether  the Government has recently introduced cruise service on Ganga river in Varanasi and other river beds and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government  has engaged public and private sectors in this regard  and if so, the details  thereof;
- (c) the details  of river-circuits  identified  by the Government  along with their promotion proposals;
- (d) the present  status of construction  of new Cruise Terminals  at various ports in the country including Kolkata; and
- (c) the quantum of funds allocated,  released  and utilised for this purpose?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR SHIPPING (SHRI MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)

- (a)  Various  private companies  are operating cruise vessels on National waterway  1 (Ganga),  National  waterway  -  2 (Brahmaputra)  and watervvays  in Kerala.  M/s Nordic cruise Line Service Pvt. Ltd. has launched  cruise service in Varanasi in August,2018.
- (b) & (c) River cruise/tourism  has been a regular  feature  on National  '/Vaterways-'l & 2 since last few years and lnland waterways Authority  of lndia (lwAl) engages with private companies  for development of river cruise tourism. various companies namely M/s Heritage River cruises lndia Pvt. Ltd., M/s. Vivada  lnland w;aterways, M/s. Assam Bengal navigation Co. and M/s. Nordic Cruise Line Service Pvt. Ltd. operate their cruise

vessels on NW-1 and Sundarbans waterways. M/s.  Assam Bengal Navigation Company, M/s Far Horizon Co. are operating cruise vessels on NW-2. River tourism on NW-3 is already popular among domestic and foreign tourists. During the winter months of October-March, several tourist vessels carrying  foreign and domestic tourists are regularly  plying between Kazianga and Dhubri in Assam; Patna/Varanasi,  Kolkata and Sunderbans on Ganga, and throughout the year in the backwaters of Kerala.

Under the MoU and SOP on Passenger and Cruise Service on the Coastal and Protocol routes signed between  lndia and Bangladesh,  private  cruise operators of both the countries commenced cruise services in March  -  April, 20'19.

- (d) & (e) The Ministry of Tourism  has sanctioned projects for the development of Cruise Terminals and related infrastructure at the major ports as part of its schemes of assistance to cenlral  agencies. Details of the pro.ject status, amount sanctioned  and released is at An nex.

## Annex

## PROJECTS SANCTIONED FOR DEVELOPMENT  OF CRUISE TERMINAL/UPGRADATION OF BERTH UNDER THE SCHEME OF ASSISTANCE  TO CENTRAL AGENCIES  FOR

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

| sl. NO.   | STATE / YEAR             | NAME OF THE PROJECT                                                                                             | SANCTIONED AMOUNT   | AMOUNT RELEASED   | STATUS              |
|-----------|--------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|-------------------|---------------------|
| 1         | Tamil Nadu 2012-2013     | Cruise Terminal Building at Chennai Port, Chennai                                                               | 1724.66             | 172t166           | Completed           |
| 2         | Grita 2012-2013          | Development of dedicated Cruise Berthing facilities at Cochin Port                                              | 2243.32             | 213ti.92          | Completed           |
| J         | Goa 2014-20.15           | Cruise Terminal building at Mormugao Port, Goa                                                                  | 879.04              | 767 187           | Completed           |
| 4         | Kerala 2016-2017         | Upgradation of Berths and backup area of Ernakulam Wharf, Kerala                                                | 2141.00             | 1070.50           | Work under progress |
| 5         | Kerala 2016-2017         | Development of Walkway I Promenade on Willingdon lsland, Cochin                                                 | 90'1 00             | 720.30            | Work in progress    |
| 6         | Maharashtra 2016-2017    | Development of KanojiAngre Lighthouse to Mumbai Poft Trust                                                      | 1500.00             | 1 500 00          | Completed           |
| 7         | Maharashtra 2017-2018    | Upgradation / modernization at lnternational Cruise Termrnal at lndira Dock, Mumbai                             | '1250.00            | 1 000 00          | Work in progress    |
| o         | Goa 2018-2019            | lmprovement of lmmigration facility and deepening of existing Cruise Berth at Mormugao Port, Goa                | 1316.40             | 658.:20           | Work in progress    |
| I         | Kerala 2018-2019         | Developing infrastructure at Cochin Port Cruise Terminals                                                       | 120 79              | 60.39             | Work in progress    |
| 10        | Kerala 2018-2019         | Creation of additional Tourism Facility at the Cochin Port Trust                                                | 466.47              | 233.i)-3          | Work in progress    |
| 11        | Andhra Pradesh 2018-2019 | Construction of Cruise-cum- Coastal Cargo Terminal at Channel Berth area in outer harbour of Visakhapatnam Port | 3850.00             | 1925 00           | Work in progress    |

Rs. ln Lakh