KMRL plans to introduce boat services in Edappally, Chilavannoor canals

KMRL plans to introduce boat services in Kochi canals, promoting water transport, tourism, and recreation in the city.

With the State government recently granting administrative approval for the ₹3,716-crore Integrated Urban Regeneration and Water Transport System (IURWTS) project — aimed at widening, dredging, and making six canals in Kochi navigable — Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL), which will implement the project, has announced plans to introduce boat services in Edappally and Chilavannoor canals.

Boat services have been planned at 30-minute intervals along a newly navigable 11.5-km stretch from Muttar to Chitrapuzha via the Edappally canal. A fleet of 10 new boats, each with a vertical clearance of 3.5 metres, will be introduced for the purpose, according to the metro agency.

“In addition, Water Metro ferries operating on the Vyttila–Thevara route will use the revitalised Chilavannoor canal to provide access to Elamkulam metro station, enhancing integration between multiple modes of transport. Aimed at promoting tourism and recreation, a Marine Drive-model waterfront is being planned along the canal featuring landscaped walkways and water sports facilities. The area is expected to become a new recreational hub, promoting wellness among the public,” said Loknath Behera, managing director, KMRL.

“The IURWTS will rejuvenate canals with water transport, walkways, and water sports activities, ease monsoon flooding, and help address persistent waste management issues in Kochi,” added Mr. Behera.

Under the project, six major canals — Perandoor, Chilavannoor, Edappally, Thevara, Konthuruthy, and Market canal — will be deepened, widened, and beautified. The rejuvenated canals will have a minimum width of 16.5 metres, while walkways and green spaces will be developed along their banks, according to the agency.

A new 90-metre-long bridge on Bund Road and the reconstruction of a bridge on Subash Chandra Bose Road near the Chilavannoor canal will streamline water flow and help reduce flooding during the monsoon, said metro sources.

“Alongside this, four sewage treatment plants have been mulled at Elamkulam, Vennala, Perandoor, and Muttar. The ₹1,325-crore project is being executed by KMRL in collaboration with the Kerala Water Authority. This integrated approach will enhance mobility, reduce flooding, and help reinvent Kochi’s identity as a water-centric urban haven, they added.