BHUBANESWAR: Chilika lagoon, Asia’s largest brackish water lake, will soon get emission-free solar and electric-powered boats as a clean mobility solution to the motorised diesel boats.
The state government has decided to use these zero-emission boats in the lagoon in view of the mounting concerns over the harmful emissions from traditional diesel-powered boats, which contribute to air, water and noise pollution, negatively affecting the overall health of the unique wetland ecosystem.
Apart from being home to a large number of aquatic and wetland species including the elusive and endangered Irrawaddy dolphin and fishing cat, Chilika hosts millions of winged guests every winter. However, use of fossil fuel-run boats to ferry visitors around the lake for sightseeing and fishing activities have emerged as a major concern for the health of its ecosystem over the years.
With hundreds of motorised boats being used for tourism and fishing purposes, the Orissa High Court had also asked the state government earlier to explore the possibility of the use of solar-operated or battery-operated boats in place of diesel engine-run boats to check both noise and pollution in the lake. Accordingly, the Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA) has floated tenders for launching of the project on a pilot mode this year.
Tenders have been floated for introduction of new solar and electric-powered boats as well as retrofitting of existing boats for their solarisation in phases. The bid includes comprehensive maintenance of these boats for two years at different places of the lake. Initially, the agency has planned to introduce five emission-free solar and electric-powered tourist boats, each having a sitting capacity of 20. Around Rs 3 crore will be spent for this purpose.
Similarly, OREDA will spend around Rs 20 crore to retrofit 28 tourist boats of Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) and Chilika Development Authority (CDA) and another 100 fishing boats.
A stakeholders meeting has already been convened in this regard and the tenders are expected to be finalised by August, said OREDA joint director Soumya Ranjan Panda. Panda said efforts are on to ensure piloting of the zero-mission boat project by this year’s end.
Though OREDA had floated a tender for implementation of the project in January this year, it was scrapped due to absence of the required number of bidders. “We are hopeful that more bidders will take part this time,” Panda said.
Chilika DFO and CDA additional chief executive Amlan Nayak said introduction of these emission-less boats will have a number of benefits for the Chilika ecosystem. Apart from checking the noise and sharp sound of diesel-run boats, these boats promote clean and sustainable fuel, Nayak said. It will also help CDA authorities in bringing down the speed limit of the motorised boats preventing instances of death of aquatic animals due to propeller hits.
CDA officials said these eco-friendly boats will help in reducing carbon footprint and improving livelihood of local fishermen and those depending on tourism in a sustainable manner.