GAIL launches first-of-its kind initiative to run boats on clean fuel

8 Jul 2022 , 10:51 AM

In a far-reaching move to clean up the holy river Ganga, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today dedicated to the nation 500 boats converted to run on environmentally friendly Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) rather than petrol and diesel.

GAIL (India) Limited built India’s first floating CNG station at Namo Ghat, which supplies CNG to these boats.

Under GAIL’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, in collaboration with Varanasi Nagar Nigam, the conversion of petrol/diesel-powered boats to CNG-powered vessels (VNN) was also carried out.

VNN has appointed Varanasi Smart City as the project coordinator, and Mecan Limited is providing engineering and consultancy services for the conversion of the boats to run on CNG.

Many of the boats present on Ganga’s various ghats are used by tourists visiting the holy city of Varanasi. However, leakage and exhaust from conventional fuels are a major concern, affecting the river Ganga’s water quality and marine life.

Conversion to CNG will not only reduce pollution, but the fuel savings will improve the economic condition of boatmen.

While 500 boats have been converted to CNG so far, the company is working at a fast pace to convert the other boats to clean fuel too.

GAIL (India) is currently trading at Rs137.20 up by Rs0.4 or 0.29% from its previous closing of Rs136.80 on the BSE. The scrip opened at Rs140.80 and has touched intraday high and low of Rs140.80 and Rs136.35 respectively.