Thane plans ambitious inland water transport project to connect with Vasai, Kalyan & Bhiwandi
The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has planned for an ambitious Inland Water Transport (IWT) project which would help connect Thane to Vasai, Kalyan and Bhiwandi. This would help provide easy connectivity to these areas and also cut the travel time.
The project is set to be funded by the state government and the authority is set to be the implementing agency. This IWT project is set to take off phase wise which includes the first phase from Vasai-Thane-Kalyan, the 2nd phase is from Thane to Mumbai and 3rd is from Thane to Navi Mumbai. The officials said that they would make use of Thane creek for the IWT project.
The TMC officials are waiting for the approval of Detailed Project Report after they submitted it to the central government last month. “The first phase would help cut the travel time from two hours to 70 minutes and it would cover a
distance of at least 50 kilometers,” said an official close to the project.
The officials also said the project would reduce the hardships of people residing in Thane, Dombivli, Kalyan and Mira Bhayandar who usually travel through local trains.
In January, the centre announced funds of Rs 1000 crore for the IWT project in Thane. Out of the total Rs 1000 crore, at least Rs 500 crore would be used in the first phase of the IWT project.
The major fund guzzler under the project would be used to construct the ‘Intermodal Hub’, which will come up at Kolshet in Thane city. The hub that will consist of a restaurant/café, parking and land transport facilities and other utilities have been earmarked around Rs 100 crore for being set up.
Among other expenses jotted down in the essential cost component report in the project, construction of one jetty, a drop off, ticketing counter along with information desk would cost around Rs 7 crore. The TMC has also planned to construct seven jetties, which will cost around Rs 49 crore. The project would include building of ‘draw bridge/movable bridge/bascule bridge’ for which a meager Rs 50 crore has been set aside as an optional cost component.