Samrat Choudhary pitches Patna water metro, seeks boost to river transport and tourism

Patna, June 16 (IANS) Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has urged the Centre to approve the proposed Patna Water Metro project, positioning it as a transformative step towards enhancing water-based transport and boosting river tourism in the state. 

Addressing a workshop organised by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) in Patna on Monday, Choudhary said the water metro could become a landmark initiative for Bihar, similar to the Kochi Water Metro -- India’s first and Asia’s largest integrated water transport system.

“I am confident that just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Patna Metro on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s request, he will also support this ambitious water metro plan,” he said.

Outlining his vision for strengthening inland waterway infrastructure in the state, Choudhary made a series of proposals to the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal.

These included, construction of two jetties each in 11 riverine districts of Bihar; fast-tracking of the multimodal terminal at Bhagalpur; establishment of a ship and cruise maintenance centre in Patna -- for which land has already been allocated by the state government; development of an intermodal terminal at Kalughat in Saran district; installation of 21 community jetties and a Quick Pontoon Opening Mechanism (QPOM) at Ara; and setting up ship repair facilities in Patna.

Choudhary also emphasised the need to expedite key projects under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP), which aims to improve navigability and cargo movement on National Waterway-1.

Referring to the success of Ro-Pax passenger vessels already deployed by the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation, he said river-based transport is both an eco-friendly and economically viable solution that could transform connectivity in Bihar.

Touching upon Bihar’s improved flood management, Choudhary credited the state and central governments for strengthening irrigation and control mechanisms. “Thanks to these efforts, Bihar can now manage inflows of up to 6 lakh cusecs from Nepal with limited damage. Today, only around 100 villages are affected during floods,” he claimed.