Govt planning airboat service from Varanasi to Prayagraj: Gadkari

The Centre is planning to start an airboat service from Varanasi to Prayagraj for the Kumbh Mela next year, Road Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari said Wednesday.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an event, he said a Russian company is expected to start the service.

The airboat, the minister said, will have an engine of a vehicle and carry 16 people at a time. It can cruise up to 80 kilometers per hour and requires a depth of only 10 centimeters, he said.

"We are planning to start the service by January 26," Gadkari said. A 1,680 kilometers-waterway connects Prayagraj with Haldia. Kumbh Mela will begin in Prayagraj on January 15, 2019.

(With inputs from agencies.)