Draft National Water Metro Policy Brings in Concept of Water Metro/Water Buses/Water Taxi for 18 cities

[Gopal Krishna]

The Inland Water Transport (IWT) system in India is expanding lnland water transport for future urban mobility.

Draft Policy Brings in Concept of Water Metro/Water Buses/Water Taxi 18 cities getting water metro systems

A Water Metro is a mechanically propelled, mass passenger transport system

operating on inland, coastal, or other water bodies, designed for systematic movement

of people and, where applicable, vehicles and may include passenger vessels and Ro‑Pax.

Such systems may operate across intra‑city, inter‑city, coastal, and inter‑island corridors, on rivers, canals, lakes, backwaters, estuaries, creeks and coastal waters and are not restricted to National Waterways. Water Metro services use modern, standardized vessel designs equipped with prescribed safety, accessibility, environmental‑protection features, and function as part of an organized public transport network.

Key Features of Water Metro 1. Mass Transport Character i. Services are open to the general public ii. Operate on scheduled or regulated routes iii. Intended primarily for public mobility

Vessel Types Included

Water Metro systems may includePassenger‑only vessels and Ro‑Pax vessels(passengers + limited vehicles).Recognizing that Water Metro systems are at a nascent stage of development, sustainability shall be embedded at the planning and design stage itself.

All Water Metro vessels are required yo operate on zero or low-emission vessels (Green Vessels) designed to provide safe, reliable and sustainable mobility solution.

All vessels shall be mechanically propelled built to standardized, certified designs, compliant with applicablenational maritime and inland vessel safety rules and regulations.

Waterways Covered

Operations are not limited to notified National Waterways and may occur on State or Union Territory or locally administered water bodies, subject to applicable clearances.

Functional Use

May support daily commuting, recreational, tourism, mixed‑purpose travel and general public mobility.

Rationale for a dedicated Water Metro Policy At present, Mass Rapid Transit Systems (MRTS) frameworks primarily encompass BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System), LRT (Light Rail Transit), tramways, metro rail, and regional rail systems, with inland waterway-based transport largely remaining outside the formal public transport ecosystem.

A dedicated Water Metro Policy would provide a structured, coordinated approach between the Centre and States, positioning waterways as a formal component of urban public transport alongside existing MRTS modes.

• Phase 1: Guwahati, Srinagar, Patna, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Prayagraj

• Based on Kochi model — 38 boats, 38 stops, ₹747 crore total

• A single metro rail line costs more per km than Kochi's entire water metro system

• No land acquisition. No tunnelling. Boats on rivers that already exist

• India has 14,500 km navigable inland waterways sitting underused

Legal Framework

Shipping and navigation on National Waterways involving mechanically propelled vessels fall under Entries 24 & 30 of the Union List in Schedule VII of the Constitution. Therefore, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), a statutory authority constituted under the IWAI Act, 1985, is empowered for development and regulation of infrastructure on National Waterways.

For waterways other than national waterways, IWAI has advisory functions with respect to inland water transport under Section 14(2)(a) of the IWAI Act. Inland waterways other than national waterways and mechanically propelled vessels plying therein, falls under Entry Number 32 of the Concurrent List (in Schedule VII of the Constitution).

Based on the this framework, the regulation of all mechanically propelled inland vessels is governed by the provisions of the Inland Vessels Act, 2021 (IV Act). Under this Act, the Central Government has, through the Rules, prescribed standards relating to construction, design, manning, pollution control, and safety, which all mechanically propelled vessels must comply with while plying on inland waterways.List of Inland Vessel Rules is placed under Annexure I. In addition, the

Rules framed under the IV Act address certain trade‑related aspects, including minimum service standards and terms and conditions aimed at protecting both service providers and service users.

The Central Government sets standards for inland vessels under the IV Act which are implemented by the State Governments and their authorities.

Technical standards and specifications for Water Metro vessels and charging or bunkering infrastructure notified by a Technical Standards Committee constituted im this regard by the Inland Waterways Authority of India, shall be mandatorily adhered toin order to ensure safety, uniformity, and interoperability. Where applicable, reelevant provisions and guidelines issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Ministry of Power (MoP), and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) relating to electric charging, alternative fuels, and bunkering infrastructure shall also be complied with, in addition to all other applicable Central and State laws.

While determining the requisite standards, the Technical Standards Committee will ensure due alignment with the current applicable standards per the rules drafted under the Inland Vessels Act, 2021.