Water Metro service in Mumbai Metropolitan Region by 2028: Nitesh Rane

Residents of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) region will be able to get Water Metro services between Nariman Point, Versova and Bandra by 2028, Maharashtra Fisheries and Port Development Minister Nitesh Rane said.

In his speech, Mr. Rane outlined the progress made in the maritime sector in the state. Hindus ‘Maharashtra Infrastructure Conclave 2026’.

“We are currently at the finalization stage, Detailed Project Report (DPR) on Water Metro has been submitted and MoUs have been submitted. [Memoranda of Understanding ] It has been signed, the process of shortlisting the lands is on,” said Mr. Rane, adding that connecting Navi Mumbai Airport is also part of the plan.

As part of the MMR Water Metro services, six to eight routes have been identified with 21 to 22 Metro stations. “Taking inspiration from Swedish and Dutch water transport models, we have prepared a road map to connect Mumbai and the MMR region,” Mr. Rane added. He also noted that the government plans to operate 250 electric boats on the Water Metro network.

The Water Metro initiative aims to transform inland waterways in urban areas into a modern means of public transport.

shipbuilding industry

Underlining the potential of the maritime sector in the state to contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of a $5 trillion economy, Mr. Rane said: “Maritime travel has moved from Europe to the Asian side. China, South Korea and Japan are leading the way and we as a country are at 0.1%. So we need to start from the shipbuilding and ship repair sector and develop this sector.”

“We are talking to many operators. One of these companies is Candela. Their 30-passenger electric boats will arrive as early as May 25, and we will start trials in the first week of June. We are talking to different companies in Norway who are ready to give us boats with a capacity of 100 and 30 passengers. We have also applied to traditional boat companies to convert their diesel boats into electric boats, and the government will also help.” On financing,” Mr. Rane added.

Vadhvan port

Stating that Vadhvan Port is a game-changing project, Rane said, “We offer skill development courses to people. The port aims to provide jobs and we want local people to come and grab these opportunities.”

Speaking about the problems at Sasoon Shipyard in south Mumbai, Mr Rane said: “We talked to Finland to solve our problems. We are there to help the fishing communities; it is a communication gap. We have the Mukhyamantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, a fisheries development scheme. The budget has been increased from 200 billion Indian rupees to 1,000 billion Indian rupees,” he said.