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Lucknow’s new ₹4,000-crore water transport plan eyes greener commute
A senior official from the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) revealed that the project is part of the UP-SCR plan, and execution will begin soon after receiving state government approval.
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Lucknow may soon witness a major shift in urban mobility as the Uttar Pradesh State Capital Region (UP-SCR)-2051 has proposed an integrated ₹4,000-crore Water Transportation Project to develop the Gomti River and canal network into an alternative public transport system.
According to the proposal accessed by HT, the project, currently in the planning stage, aims to reduce road congestion, provide affordable public transport, strengthen tourism and improve environmental sustainability while creating a new mode of urban connectivity.
A senior official from the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) revealed that the project is part of the UP-SCR plan, and execution will begin soon after receiving state government approval.
The ambitious proposal comprises four phases covering the Gomti River, Kukrail River, Haidar Canal and Sharda Canal, besides a large-scale water supply project to ensure year-round navigability. The projects will be implemented by the Uttar Pradesh Inland Waterways Authority (UPIWA) and LDA, while the irrigation department will execute the water supply component. Most of the transport projects have been proposed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model and do not require land acquisition.
Theproposed first phase comprises a 13.8-km Gomti River Navigation Channel between the Inner Ring Road near Rashtra Prerna Sthal and the private school Barrage. Estimated to cost ₹380 crore, the project includes civil works, navigation systems, utility shifting, approvals and project management. The second phase proposes a 6.8-km Kukrail River Navigation Channel from Kalyanpur East to the Gomti River confluence at an estimated cost of ₹190 crore.
The third phase includes a 13.41-km Haidar Canal Water Taxi Project, connecting Sarosa Bharosa to Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University before joining the Gomti River with an estimated cost of ₹390 crore. The fourth phase proposes a 20-km Sharda Canal Rail Bus-cum-Water Taxi Project linking Sarosa Bharosa to PGI via the Sanjay Gandhi Outer Ring Road, with an estimated cost of ₹210 crore.
Together, the four transport corridors will require an investment of ₹1,170 crore. However, the overall water transportation ecosystem has been estimated at around ₹4,000 crore, which includes the 300-acre water supply project worth ₹1,800 crore proposed under Phase II. The plan envisages drawing water from the Ganga and Sharda rivers through underground pipelines to create a natural water reservoir in the Gomti, ensuring year-round navigation without permanent storage structures. The proposal includes passenger terminals, cargo jetties, floating jetties and water transport facilities.
The concept document projects an annual revenue of nearly ₹210 crore through multiple sectors. It estimates ₹40-50 crore from agricultural logistics, ₹70-80 crore from affordable public transport, ₹30-40 crore through reduced traffic congestion, ₹40-50 crore from commercial activities and ₹50-60 crore from tourism, while rentals and allied services are expected to generate another ₹20-30 crore annually.
According to the proposal, the integrated water transport system will reduce road traffic, lower air and noise pollution, promote eco-tourism, improve emergency connectivity, increase waterfront development and enhance property values. Each phase has been planned with a two-year implementation timeline, making the project one of the most ambitious mobility initiatives proposed under the UPSCR-2051 regional development blueprint.
