Kochi: The Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has submitted a comprehensive feasibility study report for implementing a water metro system in Mumbai modelled on the Kochi Water Metro project. The report was submitted to the Maharashtra Ports and Fisheries Minister, Nitish Rane, by KMRL’s consultancy division.

The proposed project envisions connecting various water bodies including Vaitarna, Vasai, Manori, Thane, Panvel, and Karanja creeks, effectively covering the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The report outlines a 250-km waterway network with 29 terminals and a fleet of 10 routes, the KMRL said. The report was prepared within a record time-frame, it said.

Accepting the report, Minister Rane has instructed the concerned departments to take steps to implement the project. A Detailed project report (DPR) will be prepared accordingly. KMRL is expected to be tasked with preparing the DPR.

This is the first time KMRL has secured a consultancy assignment through a competitive bidding process, establishing its credentials as a national-level player in sustainable urban transport solutions.

The study was presented at a high-level meeting chaired by Minister Rane at the government headquarters in Mumbai. The KMRL team was led by Chief General Manager Shaji P Janardhanan, along with Senior Deputy General Manager Nishanth N and Manager Arjun Krishna K. Maharashtra Maritime Board CEO M Pradeep Prabhakar IAS, and Chief of Ports Capt Praveen Khare also attended the meeting.

As directed by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) and the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), KMRL is conducting feasibility studies for Water Metro systems in 21 other cities across 11 states and two Union Territories.