Kolkata: State transport department will launch 22 new non-polluting vessels with 80 to 100 seats capacity across ghats in December. These vessels will reportedly be named by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in accordance with the local culture.
Nine state-of-the-art jetties are also being constructed. Jetties including Gourhati, Rashmoni Ghat, Gadiara, Outram Ghat, Bansberia and Devitala are being rebuilt with facilities like lightning, smart gate and eco-toilets.
With the launch of new vessels, the transport department believes that increasing people's dependence on water transport will help in reduction of vehicles on the road and subsequently result in decrease in pollution.
The new e-vessels will also have bio-toilets. These will ply between ghats such as Tribeni in Hooghly and Nurpur in the North-24 Parganas. According to a news agency report, one crore seventy lakh rupees was spent on each vessel. It is reported that at least 200 crore was spent in this sector.
The eco-friendly vessels will be launched with financial help from the World Bank. The state government has given special emphasis to water travel and transportation with an aim to reduce pollution and reduce the traffic congestion on
roads. The state transport department has already installed smart card gates and built toilets for the convenience of the commuters.
The decision to introduce electric vessels was taken by the state government earlier.
They planned on cutting down the pollution by replacing the current fleet of old ferries which adds to the air and water toxicity. Moreover, the rise in the number of passengers choosing ferry services across 28 ghats in the city and surrounding area, also motivated the state transport department to make the vessels safe, for both passengers and the environment.