Maharashtra Fisheries and Ports Minister Nitesh Rane on Monday asked officials to submit a development plan (DP) for Mumbai`s water metro project within three months, reported the PTI.
Kerala-based Kochi Metro Rail Corporation Limited, which was given the task of conducting a survey to start a water metro in Mumbai, submitted its report to Nitesh Rane during the day.
The project will create an alternative transport system in Mumbai and work on it should start as soon as possible, Nitesh Rane said.
“The development plan for the water metro should be submitted within three months. There are huge opportunities for water transport in Mumbai, especially in Bandra, Worli, Versova, south Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. These opportunities should be fully considered while choosing the routes of the water metro,” he said, according to the PTI.
Routes with maximum passengers and maximum benefits should be selected, while ticket prices should be affordable, he added.
“The water metro will be a good option to connect suburbs with the city of Mumbai and south Mumbai with Navi Mumbai. A development plan should be prepared considering all these aspects. The jetty and metro terminal should be developed on the lines of the metro. Water metro should be connected with other modes of transport,” Rane said, as per the PTI.
The Kochi Metro Rail Corporation report has mentioned the construction of a total of 29 terminals and has also selected 10 routes.
The project, which will include the construction of facilities for passengers at the jetty terminal, purchase of boats etc, will entail a total expenditure of Rs 2500 crore.
Commuters urge Metro links from MMR towns to Mumbai
The local train network in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) beyond Thane is saturated, and the need of the hour is to quickly create alternatives for commuters. Passenger associations have stressed the need to finish the Metro network linking the MMR to Mumbai and consider a rapid rail transit system and wider Metro network like the one that serves both Delhi and its adjoining satellite cities.
“The government needs to take up work on Metro connecting to Mumbai along the corridors of the MMR. Work on the Mumbai network is happening on priority, and areas like Badlapur, Ambernath and Asangaon need to be brought under the Metro network linking them to Mumbai. That would be the only alternative,” Rajesh Mithwala, a commuter, said.
Status of MMR Metro lines
Line 4: Work on the 10-km section from Thane to Kasarvadavli, which comprises 10 stations, is nearing completion.
Line 4A: Work on the 2.7-km line, between Kasarvadavli and Gaimukh, which comprises two stations, is nearing completion. Train trials begin in August.
Line 5: The vital 24.9-km stretch comprises 15 stations and links Thane to Kalyan via Bhiwandi. The 11.9-km Thane-Bhiwandi section comprising six stations will be completed by December 2026, and the Bhiwandi-Kalyan one will be finished by June 2029.
Line 9: The project connects Dahisar to Mira Bhayander. Its first phase, a 4.5-km section with four stations, will be commissioned by the year-end. The second one, a 4.6-km section comprising four stations between Kashigaon and Mira-Bhayander, will be commissioned by December 2026.
Line 10: Tendering is in progress for this metro line, which links Gaimukh to Shivaji Chowk in Mira Road.
Line 12: Work has started on the line last year with decent progress.
(with PTI inputs)
