Kerala State Water Transport Department

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Wikipedia

Kerala State Water Transport Department
Company typeSeparate government department in the state of kerala.
IndustryPublic transport ferry service
Founded1968
Headquarters
Alappuzha, Kerala
,
India
Area served
Kerala
ProductsPassenger and Cargo Ferry
ServicesOperates 81 boats
OwnerDepartment of Transport, Government of Kerala
Divisions13
Websitehttp://swtd.kerala.gov.in/
Aditya, India's first solar ferry
SWTD ferry on service in the Kerala Backwaters
Junkar Service Fort Cochin
SWTD ferry at Ashtamudi Lake, disembarking passengers

Kerala State Water Transport Department (SWTD) is a governmental department that regulates the inland navigation systems in the Indian state of Kerala and provides inland water transport facilities.[1] The department is headed by the State Minister in charge of transportation.

This system consists of 1895 kilometers of waterways, including navigable rivers, backwaters, and man made cross canals. Most of these are in Travancore-Cochin region. Of the 44 rivers in Kerala, 41 of the westward flowing rivers combine with back waters and man made canals to form an integral part of inland navigation system.

A study conducted in 2011-2012 by CPPR on Inland Water Transport in Kochi shows that around 56 percent of the passengers expressed their dissatisfaction over the quality of ferry service.[2]

Landmark projects

  • Aditya_(boat) - India's first solar ferry launched in 2017
  • Vega - Kerala's fastest public transport ferry launched in 2018[3]
  • Kerala's first water taxi service launched in 2020.[4]
  • Indra (boat) - India's first solar cruise and largest solar boat launched in 2024

External sources

Kerala Government Site Archived 16 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine

References

  1. ↑ "State Water Transport Department, Government of Kerala, India - STATE WATER TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT". Archived from the original on 18 February 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  2. ↑ "More Than Half The Passengers Unhappy With Ferry Service". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  3. ↑ "Kerala Launches Vega 120, Its Fastest Inland Ferry, With AC Cabins And Top Speed Of 25 Kmph". Archived from the original on 5 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  4. ↑ "First Water Taxi Launched In Kerala". www.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 21 November 2025.