NEW DELHI. The Central Government is preparing to launch modern Water Metro systems across 18 cities in India to reduce city traffic jams and improve public transport options. Inspired by the massive success of the Kochi Water Metro, the government has already released the Draft National Water Metro Policy 2026 to start the approval process. The new network will operate just like a regular metro rail system but will use advanced electric or hybrid boats on rivers and lakes. In the initial phase, the project will cover water-rich cities including Srinagar, Patna, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Prayagraj, and Guwahati, before expanding to other locations like Tezpur and Dibrugarh in Assam during the second phase.
This massive national project is estimated to cost between 18,000 and 18,500 crore rupees, with the central government funding around 9,280 crore rupees and state governments covering the rest. Individual city networks will cost between 800 crore and 1,300 crore rupees depending on the local infrastructure needs. Officials note that water metros are much faster and cheaper to build than traditional concrete metro rails. The Inland Waterways Authority of India is teaming up with Kochi Metro Rail Limited to execute the plan, which will also give a major boost to local tourism and waterfront development across the country.
