UP Cities Explore New Water Metro Network

Uttar Pradesh has taken its first formal steps towards building a modern river-transport system, with the state’s newly constituted inland waterways authority approving a feasibility study to explore passenger and cargo movements across major rivers. The initiative signals a broader shift towards low-carbon mobility options as cities confront rising congestion, pollution, and infrastructure stress.

At its inaugural meeting this week, the authority cleared the appointment of a consultant to examine navigability, operational models, and potential demand for water-based services. Senior officials attending the session said the study would assess river transport corridors and identify locations suitable for passenger ferries, cargo vessels, and tourism-led development. The proposal also includes reviewing the scope for a water metro system in six urban centres Lucknow, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Agra and Mathura where rivers shape both culture and mobility patterns. A senior transport official noted that the Gomti has emerged as a priority stretch, adding that any transport plan would require river revitalisation, improved water quality and adequate depth to maintain navigation. “If rivers are restored and managed as living assets, they can support clean mobility without additional pressure on existing road networks,” the official said.

Experts in logistics and urban mobility have long argued that India’s inland waterways remain underutilised despite being cost-efficient and energy efficient. One industry analyst pointed out that a single river vessel can displace dozens of trucks, reducing fuel use, emissions and road congestion.  With Uttar Pradesh hosting 11 of the country’s notified inland waterways, the state is widely seen as having strong potential to develop multimodal supply chains that integrate rivers with rail and road systems. Early logistics linkages, particularly along the Varanasi–Kolkata route, are already demonstrating commercial viability for manufacturers in Kanpur, Unnao and surrounding industrial districts. Tourism planners also emphasised the river economy’s role in creating livelihoods and attracting investment. Under the state’s tourism policy, financial incentives have been extended to operators developing floating restaurants and river-based recreational infrastructure. Officials said such initiatives could support inclusive job creation while improving public engagement with waterways.

 Urban planners caution, however, that climate-resilient design and community-first approaches must guide the initiative, noting that river transport can only thrive if environmental restoration, safety standards and equitable access remain central to the project. Cleaner mobility options, they added, are essential as cities transition towards sustainable development paths and seek alternatives to carbon-intensive transport. While the feasibility study will determine the contours of future investments, the state’s decision marks a strategic attempt to reposition its rivers as active mobility corridors. If executed with ecological sensitivity and social inclusion, Uttar Pradesh’s water-transport vision could ease urban pressure, lower emissions and strengthen connectivity across the state’s expanding city network.

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UP Cities Explore New Water Metro Network