Digital Goa, June 26 – The proposed Goa Water Metro project has entered the first phase of implementation priority, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal announced on Friday. He was speaking at the inaugurating of the the ₹48.87 crore boat-shaped Captain of Ports Terminal Building in Panaji. The Union Minister said infrastructure projects worth over ₹1,300 crore have been completed by the Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) since 2014. He added that projects worth more than ₹2,000 crore, including the redevelopment of Berth No. 9, Vasco Harbour, capital dredging and other special initiatives, will be undertaken in Goa in the coming years. Sonowal also said MPA has become India’s first green port. Referring to the proposed Goa Maritime Board, he said that once the Board is constituted, it will work jointly with MPA to prepare a futuristic master plan for the development of Goa’s coastline. Incidentally, the proposed Goa Water Metro envisages a 111-km river transit network with nine major terminal hubs. Modelled on the Kochi Water Metro, the project is expected to deploy up to 87 high-speed vessels to provide an alternative mode of transport and ease road congestion. “Goa is moving towards a modern, sustainable and future-ready maritime ecosystem,” opined CM Pramod Sawant speaking at the event.
