Movement of boats prohibited in Ganges ahead of PM Modi's visit

The movement of boats between Shivala ghat to Assi ghat in Varanasi have been prohibited as part of the stringent security measures put in place ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the river bank, where he will launch environment-friendly "E-Boats" later this evening.

E-boats will not only reduce pollution, but will also bring down the operational costs, thereby enabling higher incomes for those who earn their livelihoods through such boats on the River Ganga.

During a hectic day in his Lok Sabha constituency, Prime Minister Modi earlier took a ride in an e-rickshaw at a function in Varanasi's DLW ground, where he later distributed 1,000 such rickshaws to the people.

The Prime Minister also met prominent citizens of the city at the guest house of Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) and launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojna (PMUY) at Ballia.

At the launch of PMUY, the Prime Minister said that he chose Ballia to launch the scheme because the number of LPG's connections in Uttar Pradesh is lowest in this district.