After railways, waterways could become the city’s lifeline, with the state government working towards getting the Inland Passenger Water Transport (IPWT) system started. Finding the influx of 75 lakh plus daily commuters too much to handle, Mumbai Suburban Railway has asked the government to expedite the process of exploring alternative modes of public transport, with waterways on the eastern and western suburbs.

At present, the suburban railways bear nearly 40 per cent of the urban population in mass transit. Other modes like waterways can help in faster crowd dispersal. File pic