CMRL Floats Rs 7.43-Crore Tender for 70-km Water Metro Feasibility Study

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has floated a tender for a combined feasibility study and detailed project report (DPR) for a proposed 70-km water metro corridor connecting Ennore in the north with Mahabalipuram in the south along the Buckingham Canal, reviving public transport proposals that span waterways across Adyar and other parts of the city.

The consultancy, estimated at Rs 7.43 crore, will be awarded through a quality- and cost-based selection process and is scheduled to take eight months to complete. The selected consultant will initially prepare a detailed feasibility report before formulating the final DPR, which will include tender-ready designs, technical specifications, and cost estimates.

The first phase of the study will determine if the proposed corridor can support a viable passenger service. Work will involve assessing existing conditions, forecasting commuter demand, and conducting hydrological, hydraulic, and hydrographic investigations, along with a LiDAR remote-sensing survey. Consultants will also evaluate flood risks, navigation conditions, environmental impacts, and water quality, concluding with conceptual terminal designs and financial assessments to identify stretches suitable for early execution.

The second phase will translate the preferred route alignment into an operational plan. This will encompass detailed engineering, geotechnical investigations, utility mapping, construction methodology, and technical specifications that can serve as the foundation for future construction tenders.

The project draws on the operational model of Kochi, which runs the country's first water metro system. Chennai has considered water-based transit for years, with successive proposals aiming to utilize the Adyar and Cooum rivers, the Buckingham Canal, and the Kosasthalaiyar to alleviate road and rail congestion.

An earlier initiative under the National Waterways programme commissioned a DPR to explore integrating parts of National Waterway 4 into an inland transport network. More recently, the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) proposed a water transit link between East Coast Road and Napier Bridge in its Comprehensive Mobility Plan. Additionally, the Tamil Nadu Public Works Department prepared a preliminary estimate of Rs 2,388 crore last year to restore the 167-km Buckingham Canal running from Pazhaverkadu in Tiruvallur district to Marakkanam in Villupuram.

Several hurdles remain for the project, as riverbank encroachments, pollution, shallow channel depths, and fluctuating water levels have historically disrupted navigation plans and led to the shelving of earlier pilot proposals over economic viability concerns.