A work order for manufacturing 13 electric-powered water vessels was placed and finalised with the Garden Reach Shipyard authority in presence of state transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty.

For the first time, the state transport department, including the waterways department is going to introduce electric powered water vessels for public transportation.

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The state transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty said the state chief minister Mamata Banerjee has laid much stress to upgrade both the road and water transportation system, to make public transportation system much faster, safer and eco-friendly.

To bring a check on air pollution, electric buses have already been introduced and the diesel fleet of state government transport is being replaced by electric powered vehicles for public transportation. Hence, at the special initiative of the chief minister, the state roadways and waterways departments have come up with the innovative idea to introduce electric powered water vessels for public transportation.

A work order was placed with the garden reach shipyard to manufacture 13 electric water vessels at a cost of Rs 300 crores. In the next two-and-a-half years, the Garden Reach Shipyard authorities will deliver these electric vessels but also set up electric charging stations for the 13 water vessels, in the first phase of work.

Initially, the electric powered water vessels will ply from the jetties on the Hooghly river banks of Kolkata-Howrah.

State transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty added, “Commuters from the suburban towns along the Hooghly banks should not feel deprived. Hence, the state transport department also plans to induct electric powered water vessels to set up waterways connectivity between the suburban towns and Kolkata-Howrah.”

The electric water vessels will be much faster, safer and eco-friendly, said the minister.