Kerala State Water Transport Department

The Kerala State Water Transport Department (SWTD) works under the Transport Department of the Government of Kerala. The Kerala State Water Transport Department (SWTD) is a government, public transport agency established in 1968. It is headquartered in Alappuzha, Kerala. The State Water Transport Department (SWTD) is an important service department under the Kerala Government and is dedicated to cater to the transportation needs of the public residing in the waterlogged areas of Alappuzha, Kottayam, Kollam, Ernakulam, Kannur and Kasaragod Districts. It manages about 1,895 km of inland waterways across 13 divisions and 6 primary districts. The State Water Transport Department operates across 128 identified routes.  Wooden, steel, and solar-powered fiberglass models are among the passenger service vessels. There are currently 66 vessels in the SWTD's fleet. The department makes approximately 2, 96,075 trips annually with this fleet. In the fiscal year 2024-25, the department ferried 106.05 lakh passengers.  (Source: SWTD).

Landmark Projects:

• Aditya (2017): The country's first solar-powered ferry.

• Vega (2018): Fast public transport ferry.

• Water Taxis (2020): On-demand water taxi services.

• Indra (2024): The country's largest solar boat / solar cruise vessel.