Kerala to procure two 75-seater solar boats
The Hindu
Water transport dept. sanctioned ₹6 crore, launch likely next year
The State Water Transport Department (SWTD) will procure two 75-seater solar boats so as to curb pollution caused by its fleet. The two boats will be on the lines of Aditya, the country’s first solar-powered ferry, launched in 2017 and operating between Vaikom in Kottayam district and Thavanakkadavu in Alappuzha district in the Vembanad backwaters. Transport Minister Antony Raju said administrative sanction had been given by the government to the SWTD to procure the two solar boats at a cost of ₹6 crore. Steps will be taken to launch the new boats in one-and-a-half years.The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.