To enhance Chennai’s transportation system and tourism, the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) is exploring a novel water metro system, inspired by Kochi’s model. This initiative, part of the city’s Comprehensive Mobility Plan, encompasses a 53-kilometre corridor connecting East Coast Road (ECR) to Napier Bridge, utilizing the city’s coastal and inland waterways to provide a sustainable travel alternative.
In its push for low-emission transport, CUMTA is considering electric or hybrid ferries for the water metro. Currently, a feasibility study is assessing navigability, environmental impact, and cost-efficiency. Although water transit concepts have emerged previously, focusing on waterways like the Adyar and Cooum rivers, this renewed commitment signals a critical shift in urban mobility, promoting sustainability and innovation.
Despite challenges such as pollution and encroachments, officials remain hopeful for the water metro’s success. Their strategy emphasizes river restoration, investment in low-draft ferries, and improved integration with the existing metro and bus networks. The broader National Waterway 4 initiative—spanning 1,078 km across multiple states—has faced slow progress, but enthusiasm for urban water transit may reinvigorate efforts in this vital area. This vision aims to revitalize Chennai’s waterways as dynamic channels of movement.
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