Overview
- Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off operations at Namo Ghat, marking the vessel’s entry into regular service on the Ganga.
- The 24-metre catamaran carries about 50 passengers in an air-conditioned cabin and uses a hydrogen fuel cell–battery system that emits only water and heat.
- Cochin Shipyard Limited built the craft as a pilot for the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways’ Harit Nauka initiative.
- Fuel-cell development draws on CSIR’s NMITLI programme with KPIT, CSIR-NCL and CSIR-CECRI to produce low-temperature PEM stacks for marine use.
- Officials framed the move as part of inland waterway modernisation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following an earlier hydrogen vessel launch at Thoothukudi.