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Mumbai is preparing to introduce a water metro system that will use battery-powered ferries to reduce road traffic congestion in the city and nearby areas. Maharashtra Ports Minister Nitesh Rane said that a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the water metro project in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region is likely to
be submitted by February 28.
Mumbai Water Metro Plan
The Mumbai water metro project is inspired by the successful Kochi Water Metro. A formal announcement about Mumbai's water metro is expected to be made by Fadnavis during the state budget presentation on March 6. Last year, Kochi Metro Rail Limited was awarded the contract to prepare the DPR for Mumbai's water metro. KMRL is also conducting water transport studies in 18 cities across 11 states and two union territories under the guidance of the Inland Waterways Authority of India.
Water Metro Services in Mumbai
According to the minister, the water metro services are planned to begin in phases from December this year. The state government has identified six to eight possible routes across the MMR that will be connected through electric boats under the water taxi project. The total estimated cost of the project is around ₹1,200 crore.
Once the DPR is submitted, the proposed routes will be reviewed in detail. Discussions will be held with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to check the feasibility of the routes. In the first phase, two routes will be selected for implementation. The government plans to start services within Mumbai city first and later expand them to the wider MMR, which includes nearby districts.
Mumbai Water Metro to Cover Areas
Within Mumbai, the initial water metro routes are expected to cover key locations such as Nariman Point, Worli, Bandra, Juhu, and Versova. The minister said that two of these routes will be taken up in the first phase. He also mentioned that once the Radio Club jetty near the Gateway of India becomes operational, people will be able to reach the Navi Mumbai International Airport in just about 40 minutes using the water metro.
