Who says ferries can’t be fabulous? Half a year since its quiet debut, Kolkata’s all-electric water metro Dheu has turned into a full-blown city obsession. From romantic riverside cruises to breezy Insta-perfect rides, this sleek green catamaran has become the thing to do on weekends or even a chill weekday escape.

Named Dheu – the Bengali word for wave, this zero-emission beauty may have launched six months ago, but it’s riding a fresh wave of popularity as Kolkata rediscovers its timeless love affair with the Hooghly.

A cruise with a view

For Rs 300 (AC) or Rs 200 (non-AC), Dheu offers a two-hour sightseeing journey that flows past Kolkata’s most iconic riverside landmarks – the grand Howrah Bridge, the colonial Bally Bridge, the spiritual calm of Dakshineswar and the majestic Belur Math. 

Whether you’re a tourist or a city-dweller seeking a breezy escape, this cruise feels like Kolkata unfolding itself – one wave at a time.

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Not just a ferry, but a green marvel

Manufactured by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) at a cost of rs 13.5 crore, Dheu is no ordinary ferry. It’s a product of indigenous innovation, with its Catamaran Hull designed in collaboration with IIT Kharagpur using cutting-edge computational fluid dynamics (CFD). 

This results in a vessel that is not only sleek and stable but also creates minimal wake, ensuring it doesn’t disturb smaller boats and ecosystems around.

With a seating capacity of 92, offering both air-conditioned and non-AC spaces, Dheu brings comfort and green consciousness together in one quiet, electric hum.

From Babughat to headlines

Though the official launch happened in January at Babughat, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee doing the honours, Dheu has recently picked up steam as more people discover (and re-discover) this calm, clean mode of transport.

Dheu is the first zero-emission ferry in the state and also GRSE’s first fully electric vessel, built to replace polluting, aging diesel ferries operating on the Ganga and Bhagirathi rivers.

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Much like the underwater metro that previously made headlines, Kolkata is once again setting benchmarks in eco-friendly urban mobility. The launch of Dheu mirrors successful water metro models in cities like Kochi, where ferries are fast becoming integral to everyday commuting. These water metros don’t just reduce road congestion – they cut down emissions, noise and travel fatigue.