Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary bats for Patna water metro, and seeks the centre’s support.
Patna, June 16, 2025: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has urged the Central Government to launch the Patna water metro service to promote inland water transport and boost river tourism in the state.
Drawing parallels with the approval of the Patna metro project, Choudhary expressed confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would similarly support the water Metro initiative.
“Prime Minister Modi gifted the Patna Metro on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s request. I am confident he will bless us with the Patna Water Metro too. It will be a milestone in the direction of water transport,” Choudhary said.
Speaking at a workshop organized by the inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) in Patna on Monday, Choudhary put forth several demands to the Union Minister for ports, shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal.
He requested the construction of two jetties each in 11 districts of Bihar through which rivers flow, to encourage the use of inland waterways for transportation and trade.
He also emphasized the need for a multimodal terminal in Bhagalpur and the early establishment of a ship and cruise maintenance center in Patna, for which the state government has already provided land.
Samrat Choudhary credited the Bihar government for flood control success:
Highlighting the Nitish Kumar-led government’s achievements in flood management, Choudhary stated:
“Today, even if 6 lakh cusecs of water comes from Nepal Bihar no longer faces a severe flood situation. Only about 100 villages are affected now.”
He appealed for continued and increased Central assistance in expanding the inland water transport network, which he called a “key driver for economic development and connectivity in Bihar.”
Push for infrastructure Under the Jal Marg Vikas Project:
Choudhary further pressed for speeding up infrastructure under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) on National Waterway-1, which runs along the Ganga from Haldia to Varanasi (1,620km).
Samrat Choudhary proposed for inclusion of an intermodal terminal at Kalughat (Saran)k, 21 community jetties, a Quick Pontoon Opening Mechanism (QPOM) at Ara and ship repair facilities in Patna.
He also informed that two Ro-Pax passenger ships under the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation have already been deployed to explore river tourism possibilities in the state.
Learning from Kochi’s Model:
Samrat Choudhary cited the successful Kochi water metro as an inspiration for Bihar.
The Kochi water metro is India’s first water metro system and the largest integrated water transport system of its kind in Asia, serving the Greater Kochi region in Kerala through eco-friendly ferry services.
“We can replicate Kochi’s model in Patna to create sustainable and modern river-based transport infrastructure,” he said.
EOM.