Yogi Govt Plans Water Metro On Gomti River, Preparations To Begin Soon

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government is planning to launch a water metro system on the Gomti River in Lucknow. A technical feasibility study, which found this proposed project viable, was reviewed by Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh in a recent meeting with Kochi Metro Director Sanjay Kumar.

Discussions over what was found in the study, including the operational and technical requirements for introducing this water transport in the state capital, took place in-depth in the meeting to further ascertain its feasibility with precision. The system is expected to be equipped with modern navigation, passenger management and safety infrastructure.

The preparatory work to kick off the development of the proposed water metro is set to begin shortly, officials have reportedly said.

Officials have also said that Lucknow’s Gomti project would be the first among several water-based transit proposals being evaluated by the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government. Similar services are being examined for select stretches of the Ganga in Mathura, the Yamuna corridor between Agra and Mathura, Ramgarh Tal in Gorakhpur and Surha Tal in Ballia.

As of now, the project awaits several technical and environmental clearances, including studies on navigational aids, integrated traffic management, passenger counting systems, environmental and social impact safeguards, terminal and jetty development, road connectivity, pontoons, automatic fare collection, power supply and vessel-charging infrastructure, as well as fire safety and climate control systems.

Once these evaluations are concluded, a Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be prepared, outlining the estimated cost and phased implementation schedule of the water metro proposal. Based on the DPR, tenders will be floated for different components of the project, following which agencies will be selected for execution.

Along with the remaining formalities, the process of allocating budgetary provisions for the project remains underway. Kochi is the only city in the country to have a water metro system as of now, which was launched in 2023.

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