Water metro will start in this city of India, tourism will get a boost
Maharashtra Water Metro Service: Water metro service is going to start very soon in Maharashtra. This announcement has been made by Maharashtra Port Minister Nitesh Rane. According to him, the state government is working fast towards starting water metro service on the lines of Kochi in Mumbai. Regarding this, Kochi Water Metro of Kerala has been requested to prepare a detailed project report (DPR). According to the press note issued by the Maharashtra Port and Maritime Development Department, this report will be available by the end of April. Rane said that a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be set up to implement this project, in which the state and central government will invest equally.
Mumbai’s waterways will be better used
The minister said that Mumbai is made up of seven islands, but the waterways here have not been used enough. Water metro service will reduce the pressure on roads and suburban railway network. He said that under this scheme, battery-operated ferry services will connect many parts of Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), making travel not only eco-friendly but also better and faster.
Which stations will be included
Rane has given information about several possible routes in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, including Narangi-Kharvadvari, Vasai-Mira Bhayander, Fountain Jetty-Gaimukh-Nagle, Kolset-Kalher-Mumbra-Kalyan and Vashi-Domestic Cruise Terminal (Bhaucha Dhakka).
He said that in the first phase of the Water Metro, stations will be built at 21 places, which will cover the Vaitarna River, Vasai, Thane, Manori and Panvel creeks and the water area of Mumbai Port Trust. In the second phase, ‘Ro-Ro’ service will also be started, which will make multi-modal integration possible.
Tourism will get a boost
Connectivity will also be improved through the project. The minister said that road connectivity will also be developed simultaneously. He has suggested developing Vasai Fort as a major tourist spot and creating a tourism circuit to connect nearby forts, bird sanctuaries, religious places and water theme parks. Rane also stressed on regular cleaning and maintenance of water areas so that environmental balance is maintained and tourism can be promoted.
Water taxi network will be connected to Navi Mumbai Airport
The minister said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced a plan to make Navi Mumbai Airport the first airport in the country from where water taxi service will be available. A water metro terminal will also be built near the airport. To expedite the work on this project, a meeting of CIDCO, Maharashtra Maritime Board and State Port Ministry will be held soon and a separate detailed project report will be prepared.
