Chennai takes cue from Kochi to explore water metro project

CHENNAI: On seeing the success of Kochi's water metro, Chennai is seriously considering the launch of a water metro service to connect Kovalam and Napier Bridge along a 53 kilometer route.

According to a report in The Hindu, the state government is also considering ten other waterways in TN to implement measures that can boost tourism. Following this, the Water Resources Department (WRD) has been asked to come up with a detailed project report for the proposed water metro.

As a follow-up of this, multiple state agencies like the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority, the WRD and the Tamil Nadu Maritime Board have joined hands together to work on the project.

Officials said that the foremost step is to restore and desilt the Buckingham Canal between Napier Bridge and Kovalam. To carry out the process, there would be a need to construct sewage treatment plants, installing water quality monitoring systems, and implementing aeration and water management solutions. "The combined cost of canal restoration and water metro operations is estimated between Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 crores. The funding sources are yet to be finalized," said an official.

The introduction of a water metro would ensure smoother water flow which would help in flood mitigation and the revitalized canal could attract tourists and supply treated water to industries, generating revenue that may offset maintenance expenses.

A proposal in connection with this would be given soon by the WRD, following which the report for the same would be submitted by the end of the year, added the official.