10 New Waterways for MMR, 4 to Link Directly with Navi Mumbai Airport
Published 8 Sep 2025, 2:44 PM IST
What it means for Navi Mumbai
The Maharashtra government plans 10 new passenger water transport routes in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Four of these will connect to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). The state’s maritime regulator, Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) says Kochi Water Metro will prepare the DPR (Detailed Project Report = the master study that fixes routes, jetties, boats, costs, safety, and timelines).
What this means for Navi Mumbai
- Airport access by boat: Besides road and metro, you could reach NMIA via ferries/water taxis from places like South Mumbai and coastal nodes. This will need a jetty near the airport and shuttle buses from jetty to terminal. (That last-mile is crucial, lack of it stalled some past services.)
- Less road traffic, faster trips: Water links can take pressure off Sion – Panvel, Palm Beach Road, Thane – Belapur Road and even Atal Setu during peaks and rains.
- Belapur/Nerul users benefit first: Existing jetties (Belapur, Nerul) already plug Navi Mumbai into the harbour. A network that adds airport bound and Mumbai bound legs can turn them into big hubs.
Main News
10 water transport routes is being planned for regular passenger boats across MMR; 4 of them to touch NMIA so flyers can come by water. Kochi Water Metro (the team that runs ferry-metro style boats in Kochi) will do the DPR for Mumbai’s network, surveys, demand checks, terminal designs, and an integrated plan.
Why now? The state wants a commuter-first, affordable system after many older experiments failed due to high fares and weak last-mile. One service that did work is the Ro-Pax (roll-on/roll-off passenger, it is a ferry that carries both people and vehicles.) ferry between Mumbai (Ferry Wharf) and Mandwa, started in 2020. The idea is to learn from wins and misses.
MMR = Mumbai Metropolitan Region (Mumbai + Thane + Navi Mumbai + Mira-Bhayandar + Kalyan-Dombivli + Panvel + parts of Raigad).
Over the last 30 years, several Mumbai water routes never took off or closed fast, hovercraft (Gateway – Navi Mumbai, Juhu – Girgaum), Nariman Point – Borivali, and even a Belapu r –Gateway attempt post-pandemic, mainly due to high fares and poor last-mile at one or both ends. The 2020 Ro-Pax (Ferry Wharf–Mandwa) is a counterexample: steady demand with the right pricing and terminals. The new plan aims to follow the working model, not the failed ones.
Likely shape of the network (what the studies already hint)
Airport-linked corridors: Past feasibility work and government briefings talk about Navi Mumbai–South Mumbai connections trimming journey times (e-water taxis/marinas under discussion). One study flagged Belapur–Gateway–Mandwa among viable links that tie Navi Mumbai and the new airport to South Mumbai and Alibaug. Exact airport-bound legs will be finalised in the DPR.
Scale & timeline (indicative): A consultant report suggested 10 routes, approx 29 terminals, approx 75 “green” boats could be rolled out in 28 months after contract award, subject to clearances. Treat this as a best-case build time; DPR will set the real schedule.
What will the DPR cover?
The DPR will cover:
- Where jetties should be (who lives/works nearby, how they’ll walk/ride to the jetty).
- Demand surveys (household and preference surveys to test price and frequency).
- Boat types & frequency (electric/hybrid boats, safety systems).
- Terminal design & last-mile (buses, auto bays, safe walkways).
- Ticketing & fares (keep it affordable so ridership is steady).
Sources
Hindustan Times: State to commission 10 routes; 4 to NMIA; Kochi Water Metro to prepare the DPR; reasons older routes failed. Source
Free Press Journal: Reiterates 10 routes, 4 to airport, and DPR scope; context on past closures. Source
Times of India (reports/briefings): Feasibility points to 10 routes, 29 terminals, ~75 green boats, ~28-month best-case roll-out after award; focus corridors like Belapur–Gateway–Mandwa that tie Navi Mumbai and the new airport to Mumbai/Alibaug; marina/e-water taxi plan for South Mumbai–NMIA in ~40 minutes (under discussion/works). Source
Mumbai Live: Same headline findings on 10 routes with 4 airport links in MMR. Source
