When Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal recently hopped a ride on the Kochi Water Metro, he was all praise for the service, which connects various parts of the city through its intricate network of inland waterways. Writing in the visitors’ book, he described the ride as “unique, exciting, comfortable and enjoyable”.
The project is a shining testament to India’s ability to blend tradition with innovation, he said. After reviewing the operations, the minister announced his intention to replicate Kochi’s water metro model across 24 Indian cities, with a special focus on the North-East, including Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Tezpur.
The line-up includes both heritage towns and modern metros, many of which sit along underutilised waterways. The enhanced connectivity is expected to confer several economic benefits on these cities, particularly for their riverine and low-income communities. The move is also in line with the government’s emphasis on multi-modal integration as a sustainable solution to urban congestion and pollution.
Green mobility
Implemented by the Kerala government, Kochi Water Metro — the first-of-its-kind public water transport system in India — is in its third year of operations. With over 19 battery-run boats in service across major terminals in the city, it has till date ferried over four million passengers and has chalked up major expansion plans.
Loknath Behera, Managing Director, Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL), says the service offers a unique travel experience marked by comfort, scenic beauty, and eco-conscious mobility. The visitor logs at several terminals are filled with testimonials reflecting public appreciation and enthusiasm for the urban water transport service. The World Bank has also expressed interest in partnering with the water metro initiative, which ultimately aims to connect Kochi’s 10 island communities with the mainland through a fleet of battery-operated boats.
KMRL has completed a feasibility study for the launch of a water metro in Mumbai, at the request of the Maharashtra government. The project now awaits Union Cabinet approval. KMRL is carrying out similar feasibility studies in 21 urban centres across 11 states — Kerala, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Goa, Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh; and two Union territories — Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep.
Behera points out that water metro systems would introduce sustainability in public transport services, de-congest roads at affordable cost, and cut travel time.
Varied approaches
On the challenges involved in replicating the Kochi Water Metro project in other parts of the country, Behera explains that different types of waterbodies require different approaches and technology. For instance, the boats deployed in Kochi are not feasible for Mumbai’s waters, he says.
The states covered by the feasibility studies are enthused at the prospect of integrating navigable waterbodies with other modes of transport, he says. Kochi Water Metro, for instance, is linked through feeder bus services to metro train stations. The studies assess waterbody quality and flow, population density in the surrounding areas, potential docking locations, traffic data, and propulsion feasibility. Stakeholder consultations are held at each proposed site, and tenders have been issued for supporting traffic studies, he says.
On the potential for revenue earnings, he says, “We are not actually thinking in terms of revenue, though it is important. We are planning in such a way that non-fare box revenue is built-in from the planning stage.”
