Haryana, Jul 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off India’s first hydrogen-powered train connecting Jind to Sonipat in Haryana from here, calling it a successful example of the ‘Make in India’ campaign.

With this, India has joined a select group of countries that have operational hydrogen-powered trains and marks an important step towards the adoption of clean and sustainable mobility in the railway sector.

The 89-km distance between Jind and Sonipat will be covered in two hours, with the train halting at 12 intermediate stations.

After flagging off the train, the prime minister also dedicated to the nation and laid foundation stone of various development projects worth Rs 14,700 crore.

Addressing a public gathering later, Modi called the hydrogen-powered train a successful example of the ‘Make In India’ campaign.

Today, Indian Railways has taken a major step and this hydrogen train from Jind to Sonipat is the world’s most powerful train, he asserted.

Referring to the West Asia conflict, Modi said India receives huge quantity of petrol, diesel, LPG gas, and fertilizers through the Strait of Hormuz.

However, for the last three to four months, this path has continuously become a battlefield, he said.

Despite the war and oil crisis, India’s railways and the country’s development vehicle has not stalled, he said.

“If this situation had arisen before 2014, the work of India’s railways would have come to a complete standstill,” he asserted.

Modi also said that his visit to Jind has opened a window to old memories. “I cannot forget the love I have got,” he said.

Jind’s ‘ghee’ and ‘ghevar’ have not changed in years but its ‘tevar’ (attitude) has, he said, while adding Jind is becoming a model of BJP’s good governance.

Names of Jind, Sonipat and Haryana will come up whenever there is mention of hydrogen train, I congratulate the entire country, he added.

The train, styled in a striking sky-blue and white colour scheme, is powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology, which converts hydrogen into electricity to propel the train.

The process produces only water vapour as a by-product, resulting in zero carbon emissions during operation.

Compared to diesel trains, they eliminate tailpipe emissions, lower dependence on fossil fuels and fossil fuel imports, and operate with significantly less noise. Unlike conventional electric trains, they do not require continuous overhead electrification infrastructure, as electricity is generated onboard through hydrogen fuel cells, making them a clean and efficient solution.

The use of green hydrogen also reduces dependence on electricity generated from fossil fuel-based thermal power plants, supporting India’s transition to sustainable transport.

India’s hydrogen train features a 10-coach configuration, making it among the longest hydrogen-powered passenger trains developed so far. Its 3,200 HP propulsion system makes it one of the most powerful hydrogen-powered trainsets in operation A 1,200-kilowatt hydrogen-fuel-cell-propulsion system will power the 10-car trainset with a capacity of around 2,600 passengers, demonstrating the scalability of hydrogen-powered rail transport for high-capacity passenger operations.

New Delhi, Jul 17: Educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Friday asserted that he would “stay alive till July 20 at any cost”, even as his indefinite hunger strike entered its 20th day amid a warning from doctors that his prolonged fast has reached a critical stage.

As the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) agitation at Jantar Mantar against alleged examination irregularities entered its 28th day on Friday, Congress leader Pawan Khera became the latest political leader to visit Wangchuk and other protesters to express his solidarity.

Addressing supporters at the protest site, Wangchuk acknowledged his weakening physical condition but said his resolve remained unshaken.

“I am weak from the outside but very strong inside. I am sure all of you are strong from the inside, and outside too. We need this energy for July 20, when we will take out a peaceful march to Parliament. We will go together and present our plea in the temple of democracy,” he said.

“I will stay alive till July 20 at any cost. If you don’t come and July 20 is not successful, I will come back as a ghost,” he said in a lighter vein, drawing cheers from the gathering.

Wangchuk lost another 350 grams over the last 24 hours, taking his cumulative weight loss to about 9.5 kg.

According to the health bulletin issued by the medical team attending to him, Wangchuk now weighs 56.55 kg. His blood pressure was recorded at 108/68 mm Hg, blood sugar at 80 mg/dL, pulse rate at 72 beats per minute and oxygen saturation at 96 per cent. Doctors said he showed signs of mild dehydration but remained mentally alert.

On Thursday, doctors had warned that his condition had entered a critical stage due to the prolonged fast and that the next phase could be alarming, with the possibility of organ damage if the hunger strike continued.

Wangchuk, however, had refused to call off the fast, saying that ending it without any response from the government would send a wrong message. He maintained that the focus should now be on making the July 20 Parliament march a success.

The issue has also reached the Delhi High Court, which directed authorities to monitor Wangchuk’s health daily and provide medical assistance if his condition deteriorates.

The health of others on hunger strike has deteriorated as well. The CPI(ML) Liberation-affiliated All India Students’ Association (AISA) said the condition of its activists Neha, Manish and Aameen, who have also been on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, had reached “severe stages”.

According to the organisation, Aameen is at risk of hypovolemic shock due to dehydration, Neha’s blood sugar level has dropped to a dangerous 49 mg/dL and Manish has lost more than 10 per cent of his body weight. AISA said the three students would continue the fast in solidarity with Wangchuk despite their worsening condition.

Political support for the CJP’s agitation continued to grow, with Congress leader Pawan Khera visiting Wangchuk and other protesters at Jantar Mantar on Friday.

Khera’s visit came a day after Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav met the hunger strikers and urged the Centre to initiate dialogue, and after Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav reached out to express concern over Wangchuk’s health and extend support to the proposed Parliament march.

Over the last week, the agitation has also drawn support from actor Prakash Raj; former Delhi chief minister Atishi; TMC MPs Mahua Moitra and Sagarika Ghose; CPI(M) MP Amra Ram; veteran CPI(M) leader Subhashini Ali; former Kerala ministers K K Shailaja, Thomas Isaac, K N Balagopal and P Rajeev; Tripura Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury; Samajwadi Party MPs Pushpendra Saroj and Priya Saroj; Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant; NCP MLA Rohit Pawar; and Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Gurnam Singh Charuni.

A group of eminent citizens, including writer Arundhati Roy, actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, economist Jayati Ghosh and several academics, have also backed the protesters’ demands while appealing to Wangchuk to end his fast.

The CJP has been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Rs 1 crore compensation for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide over alleged examination irregularities. The outfit has called for a peaceful march to Parliament on July 20, coinciding with the opening day of the monsoon Session.

The CJP protest began on June 20, while Wangchuk joined the agitation on June 28 and has remained on an indefinite hunger strike ever since.

One devotee died and more than 30 others were hospitalised after a crowd crush during the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri on Thursday, according to The Indian Express. The report said a 45-year-old devotee allegedly fell unconscious due to heavy congestion on the Grand Road and was rushed to the district headquarters hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Hospital sources said the condition of most of the injured devotees was stable. Additional healthcare personnel were deployed, while senior officials closely monitored the situation.

Despite heavy rain, lakhs of devotees from across Odisha and other parts of the country gathered in Puri to witness the world-famous Rath Yatra. During the festival, the deities—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra were taken in grand chariots from the 12th-century Jagannath Temple to the Shree Gundicha Temple, about 2.6 km away in all respectful religious fervour.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu greeted the nation on the occasion. In a message on X, the Prime Minister described the Rath Yatra as “a radiant expression of India’s timeless spiritual and cultural heritage” and prayed for the health, happiness and prosperity of all. President Murmu also extended her greetings and prayed for peace and prosperity in the country.

The Odisha government had deployed around 13,000 personnel, including state police, central armed forces, the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard, to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival. Special arrangements were also made to tackle waterlogging caused by heavy rain.

Security was tightened following last year’s stampede near the Gundicha Temple in which three people were killed and several others injured. Authorities had put in place an extensive crowd management and emergency response plan to prevent any untoward incident.