Patna: After months of delays, Bihar’s much-anticipated Ganga Water Metro is expected to begin operations in January 2026, with officials saying preparations are finally nearing completion.
The electric vessel earmarked for the service, MV Gomdhar Kunwar, is currently berthed near Gaighat on the Ganges. Built by Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Limited on the banks of the Hooghly River in Howrah at a cost of Rs 12 crore, the vessel was initially scheduled to be launched during Dussehra last year. Subsequent festivals, including Christmas and Prakash Parv, passed without the service becoming operational.
Arvind Kumar, director of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) in Patna, said the vessel had completed technical inspections and trial runs on the Ganges. “The survey report from the Indian Register of Shipping has been received. However, the registration and survey certificates from the West Bengal government are still awaited. The process is under way,” he said.
According to Kumar, the Water Metro service will be inaugurated with MV Gomdhar Kunwar once the remaining formalities are completed, with January 2026 set as the target date.
Infrastructure work, however, remains incomplete. Charging points for the electric vessel are yet to be installed at Digha and NIT Ghat, where floating community jetties are also required to begin operations between Digha, NIT Ghat and Kangan Ghat. The responsibility for this work lies with the Bihar government.
Under the planned route, the vessel will depart from Digha, recharge at NIT Ghat, travel onwards to Kangan Ghat and then return to NIT Ghat for another recharge before heading back to Digha. The tourism department is also planning a separate charging facility at Kangan Ghat, which is currently in the tendering stage.
The air-conditioned vessel has seating capacity for 50 passengers, with standing room for around 25 more. Its battery can be charged in about 30 minutes, allowing it to operate for approximately one and a half hours at a time.
