Centre Plans Water Metro Services Across 18 Indian Cities To Boost Urban Mobility

The Centre is preparing to introduce water metro services in 18 Indian cities as part of a broader push to improve urban mobility, reduce road congestion and promote sustainable public transport. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has circulated the Draft National Water Metro Policy 2026 for inter ministerial consultations.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal reviewed the proposed rollout and said Guwahati would be among the cities covered in the first phase. Other cities proposed under Phase I include Srinagar, Patna, Varanasi, Ayodhya and Prayagraj. Tezpur and Dibrugarh in Assam have been proposed for Phase II.

The proposed water metro systems will use existing navigable waterways with limited civil infrastructure requirements. This is expected to reduce land acquisition needs, capital expenditure and operating costs when compared with conventional urban transport projects. The government is also focusing on electric and hybrid ferries to lower fuel use and support green mobility.

The policy framework is being developed after the success of the Kochi Water Metro model. The proposed projects are expected to serve both daily commuters and tourists, especially in cities with strong riverfront, lakefront or water based transport potential.

The ministry has said priority will be given to cities with continuous or semi continuous waterways, a population of more than 10 lakh and clear transport demand. However, these conditions may be relaxed for locations where water metro services can improve connectivity to remote or water locked areas, reduce traffic pressure or support transport during floods and disruptions.

The Inland Waterways Authority of India had earlier entrusted Kochi Metro Rail Limited with feasibility studies for 18 cities. Site visits have been completed in all locations, while draft feasibility reports have been submitted for 17 cities.

The proposed water metro ecosystem will include vessels, pontoons, jetties, charging infrastructure, passenger facilities and navigational systems. Funding models may include Centre State partnerships, public private partnerships and fully government funded projects.

If implemented effectively, the water metro network could become a major step in reshaping urban transport in India while supporting tourism, cleaner mobility and city level infrastructure growth.