Surat: An expert team from the Kochi Water Metro Project visited Surat today to conduct a feasibility study for a water metro along the Tapi River. The team, which included marine civil engineer Nishant and boat design expert Arjun Krishna, surveyed a 10 km stretch of the Tapi River from the Causeway to Valak Patiya. The team carried out the survey using two boats, with officials from the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and the Fire Department also present.

Following the survey, the expert team will prepare a report on the feasibility of the water metro project in Surat. Dharmesh Bhagwakar, City Engineer at SMC, spoke to the media, stating, “The team from Kochi Metro Rail Limited is here to assess the feasibility of a water metro in the Tapi River, following the model of Kochi’s water metro. We began the survey from the Causeway to show them the current condition of the Tapi River. We hope to launch the water metro on a 22 km route in the first phase. After the full report is submitted, a decision will be made on whether the water metro will be feasible in Surat.”

It was also revealed that replicating the nature of Kochi’s water metro in Surat may not be possible due to geographical factors such as water flow, level, velocity, nature, and current in the Tapi River, which differ from those in Kochi. As a result, the experts will prepare a special report to address these factors and plan the project accordingly. The team will also record the height and width of seven bridges over the Tapi River to design metro boats that can pass under all of them. Additionally, the team has gathered details about the water levels and flow during both normal and monsoon seasons.

Nishant, the marine civil engineer involved in the Kochi Water Metro Project, shared that the Kochi water metro project has been running successfully for one and a half years, benefiting over 30 lakh people. “We are here to study and survey Surat. A report will be prepared on how the project can be implemented and what needs to be done. The water metro project in Kochi cannot be directly implemented in Surat because the hydraulic conditions, water flow, level, velocity, and current in Surat are different. We will conduct a study and prepare a report based on our findings,” he said. DeshGujarat