Kochi: The passengers who arrived at Vaikom and Tavanakadavu boat jetties were in for a surprise as they were offered free boat ride in the country's first solar ferry 'Aditya' as the staff of the State Water Transport Department (SWTD) rendered melodies and distributed sweets.
The occasion was the second anniversary of launching of 'Aditya', deployed in the Vaikom-Tavanakadavu section of the Alappuzha district.
"We faced a lot of negative vibes with skeptics even questioning the operational efficiency of the solar boat in tough water terrain. However, the successful operation of the solar ferry in the last two years proved all of them wrong. The biggest takeway, though, is the substantial reduction in pollution," said Sandith Thandasherry, the CEO of Kochi-based NavAlt Solar and Electric Boats which constructed the boat for SWTD.
"We wanted to celebrate the occasion to create awareness among passengers the need for such green fuel boats. Ever since its launch in January 12, 2017, we've been receiving good response from the commuters," said Shaji V Nair, SWTD Director.
