Electric vessels to ply on river Hooghly

In order to reduce pollution levels on River Hooghly, the State Government is currently planning to operate electric vessels in place of the current ones. The West Bengal Pollution Control Board has already reported about the existing old and rickety ferries which add to the air and water toxicity, as well as the noise level.  At present, 28 ghats of the city provide the passengers ferry services and the government wants to make the service safer and also bring down the pollution levels. An official of the State Transport Department said, “We are thinking of introducing at least two electric vessels to understand its viability in our ferry system”. The government is planning to acquire 20 modern vessels which will have improved emission systems. The ferries which are currently operational are fuel guzzlers and also add a lot to the pollution levels of the city. A pollution control board official said, “Though the pollutants from a ferry disperse fast because it’s all open on a river, the long-term harm being caused to the city’s ambient air is significant”. However, these new ferries which will soon be acquired are going to make little or no noise at all and also won’t contribute to the pollution levels. The Government will be using funds provided by the World Bank for acquiring these electric ferries and also to uplift the river transportation system.