A Water Metro ferry conducting service along Marine Drive in Kochi.
| Photo Credit: file photo

Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has begun a feasibility study to explore the viability of ushering in Water Metro ferry services, in Kollam and at 17 locations in other States.

Last November, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways had assigned the metro agency with the task of conducting a feasibility study to assess the potential for similar Water Metro systems in other parts of India. With the recent approval of its board of directors to form a consultancy wing, KMRL constituted an in-house committee to lead the initial works. If needed, external experts will be brought in to strengthen the process, metro sources said.

“Despite the technical complexities of introducing water metros in varied terrains, our skilled workforce and operational experience offer a solid foundation for their success. The feasibility study would focus on the possibility of establishing water metro services in areas having rivers, lakes, and backwaters and in coastal regions,” they said.

Locations

The potential locations include the Brahmaputra river in Guwahati, Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir, and island connections in Andaman and Lakshadweep. The other cities under consideration are Ahmedabad (Sabarmati), Surat, Mangaluru, Ayodhya, Dhubri, Goa, Kolkata, Patna, Prayagraj, Srinagar, Varanasi, Mumbai, suburbs of Kochi, Kollam, and Vasai.

“The detailed project reports (DPR) will be readied, based on the findings of the feasibility study, for suitable locations. This ambitious project aims to harness waterbodies for sustainable urban transport, revolutionizing mobility in multiple cities across the nation. The potential expansion of the Kochi Water Metro model to other parts of India underscores Kerala’s leadership in sustainable development and in modern transport innovation,” said a metro release.

“With modern facilities that are comparable to metro-rail systems, and the environmentally sustainable design of the ferries, the Kochi Water Metro has set a new benchmark for urban water transport. Efforts are now under way to explore its implementation in 18 locations nationwide,” it said.