EDITORIAL
The water metro project will be good, but the feasibility study needs analysis
After several years, the state government is making a serious effort to implement a water metro project in the state.
River Navigation Minister Subhash Phal Dessai along with River Navigation director Vikramsinh Rajebhosale met Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal in Kochi to deliberate on the issue. “Goa has a lot of inland waterways and 90 km of waterways are fully developed. Also, we have islands which are distantly located and there are no road accesses to these. It would benefit tourism and the islanders too will benefit from it,” said Phal Dessai, highlighting the need for a water metro project.
A team from Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) is likely to visit Goa in mid-September to carry out a feasibility study, which is expected to be completed within a month of the visit, after which the state government will approach the Centre to seek funding for the project. A few days ago, a KMRL director was in Goa and visited the islands of Diwar and Vanxim, among others, to understand the areas. Goa has tentative plans to run a water metro between Panaji–Divar, Mormugao–Panaji, and the coastal belt of North Goa, among other routes.
Rajebhosale said that the Union Minister has shown keen interest in the project. He said the KMRL team, in the Union Minister’s presence, assured the Goa team that it would carry out the study as early as possible. The water metro integrates water transport with urban mobility systems.
The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has been talking of a water metro for Goa for many years now. When the Atal Setu was commissioned in 2019, Gadkari said Goa has a huge potential for waterways which needs to be explored for tourism purposes too. In his opinion, Goa could replicate the functionality of the waterways in Italy’s Venice. He even lamented that his efforts to push for waterways transport were not panning out well. Since then, he has been pushing for a water metro. Six months ago, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that with the support of the central government, Goa would take initiatives for the water metro, and this is now becoming visible. The proposed expansion through techno-feasibility studies aims to boost connectivity, reduce road congestion, and promote sustainable transit in key urban and semi-urban centres.
Reviewing the operations of the Kochi Water Metro during a ride across key terminals some time ago, Sonowal said the Centre wants to replicate it in 24 cities. While the efforts of the River Navigation Department and the initiative of the Minister concerned to set up a water metro are to be appreciated, the government will have to analyse the feasibility report once it is submitted. This is required particularly on operational feasibility. Lessons learnt from the solar ferry case must be kept in mind. All aspects need to be carefully studied before a go-ahead is given. If the state government works with zeal, the Centre will provide all possible support for the initiative.
Once the state moves ahead with the project, there will be decongestion on the main roads and connectivity with the islands will increase. Just as the Ro-Ro ferry service has been introduced in the state, the government must now put the water metro project on a fast track.
