July 6th 2023.
Lucknow: Prime Minister Narendra Modi insisted on bringing in water taxis from Bhavnagar, Gujarat to ply in river Ganga at Varanasi. However, the plan has been met with stiff resistance from local boatmen. The Varanasi Municipal Corporation has brought in 10 water taxis and finalized the route for their service.
In response, the boatmen have been on strike for the past 24 hours, halting their service at all 85 Ghats of river Ganga. The civic administration believes that the water taxis will be beneficial to the devotees visiting Kashi Vishwanath temple, as they will be able to avoid traffic. On the other hand, the boatmen fear that the new service will take away their livelihood.
To make their point clear, the boatmen called for a Maha Panchayat under the banner of Maa Ganga Nishadraj Sewa Nyas and decided to continue their strike until the water taxi service is withdrawn. Shambhu Sahani, the leader of the boatmen, said that traditional boats have been their only source of income for centuries, and the government is trying to take that away. He explained that more than 5000 boatmen are currently providing service at river Ganga in Varanasi, and the water taxis will only be able to provide employment to two dozen people.
Anil Yadav, the organizational secretary of UP Congress, also denounced the decision to introduce water taxis. He argued it will have a significant impact on the livelihood of the traditional boatmen. He added that the administration has brought in a company from Gujarat to run water taxis instead of upgrading the existing boats.
The Waterways Authority of Varanasi has fixed the route for the taxis and announced their launch from Monday. Two water taxis have been deployed, and each will make five rounds daily. The number of water taxis might increase depending on the number of passengers.
To celebrate the launch of the new water taxi service, Manikarnika Film Festival felicitated actors Zaid Khan and Sonal Monteiro of the movie Banaras.
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