For crores of Indians who live near rivers, canals, and backwaters, the daily commute could soon look very different. The Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways on Monday circulated the Draft National Water Metro Policy, 2026 for inter-ministerial consultation. This signals a crucial step in the Centre's nod to potentially roll out water-based urban transit in 18 cities across the country.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who chaired a review meeting on Monday, confirmed that Guwahati, Srinagar, Patna, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Prayagraj are among the cities earmarked for Phase I of the rollout. Tezpur and Dibrugarh in Assam are slated for Phase II.
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The proposal draws directly on the success of the Kochi Water Metro, which has shown that commuter ferry services—when well designed—can rival road and rail for urban convenience. The government now wants to replicate and scale that model.
Exploring the policy draft
Under the draft policy, every vessel operating in the system must be electric or hybrid, a deliberate departure from the diesel-dependent fleets that currently ply most Indian waterways. The draft mandates zero or low-emission "Green Vessels" from the outset, with electric propulsion prioritised in the near term.
All vessels must also be indigenously designed and built by Indian shipyards, in line with the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat push.
The project would be significantly cheaper than metro rail, the ministry argues, because it uses existing waterways rather than requiring fresh land acquisition or tunnelling.
Funding models on the table include joint Centre–State financing (with capital cost shared equally), fully State-funded projects, public–private partnerships with Viability Gap Funding, and, in exceptional cases, full Central funding for projects on National Waterways.
To keep the project grounded in viability, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) had commissioned Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) to conduct feasibility studies for all 18 cities in February last year.
Site visits have been completed for all locations; draft feasibility reports have been submitted for 17 cities, with Lakshadweep still pending. Feasibility reports for Srinagar, Patna, Guwahati, Varanasi, and Ayodhya have already been formally accepted.
The policy would also require seamless integration with buses, metro rail, and other transit modes, along with last-mile connectivity infrastructure. Sonowal described the initiative as a "golden opportunity" for India to lead its next phase of transport transformation.