Mumbai Water Metro faces technical challenges compared to Kochi model

The proposed ₹6,066-crore Mumbai Water Metro project faces technical challenges in replicating the Kochi Water Metro model. While Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) assisted in Mumbai’s feasibility studies and Detailed Project Report (DPR), experts note that Mumbai’s tidal conditions, navigational depth, and open-sea stretches present a more complex environment than Kochi’s sheltered backwaters.

The Mumbai proposal aims to establish a 340 km network featuring 33 routes, 44 terminals, and 203 electric or hybrid vessels. This infrastructure could significantly impact connectivity for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, including Thane, Kalyan, and the Ulhas River belt.

Separately, former Delhi Metro managing director E Sreedharan has proposed an urban ropeway system for Kochi. The suggested route would connect Fort Kochi to Maharaja’s College via Mattancherry and Willingdon Island. Sreedharan noted that ropeways are cost-effective alternatives to metro systems in areas where roads are too narrow for rail, citing successful models in Bolivia, Mexico, and Varanasi.