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New marina may stay put near Gateway

Jan 15, 2025 09:34 AM IST

Opposition to the jetty has come from Colaba residents, backed by Colaba MLA and state assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar

MUMBAI: The proposed jetty aimed at decongesting the one at Gateway of India in Colaba is facing strong pushback, but the proposal to shift it to a new location, not far away, might already be dead in the water.

Gateway of India.
Gateway of India.

Opposition to the jetty has come from Colaba residents, backed by Colaba MLA and state assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar. They say the heritage precinct, which draws throngs of tourists year-round and is burdened by traffic congestion, will be overwhelmed by such a plan.

Narwekar met with ports and fisheries minister Nitesh Rane in Vidhan Bhavan on Tuesday, and presented Princess Dock near Ferry Wharf in Mazgaon as an alternative venue. It’s where the domestic cruise terminal is located and a new marina could even benefit from the existing infrastructure, Narwekar said.

The seaward side of the iconic Gateway of India, a monument of national importance built in 1924, serves as a jetty for launches, catamarans and speedboats that sail to Mandwa, JNPA, the Elephanta Caves and also for ferries that do harbour tours.

Launches and boats jostle for space here, even as tourists converge at the monument. As a result, pedestrian and vehicular traffic congestion is considerable, prompting the government to propose a new terminal between Gateway of India and Radio Club, not far away. Moreover, a new marina would allow boats to use it beyond 9 pm, which is not possible at present for security reasons.

The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB), which would build the new marina, had earlier planned a floating jetty or an extension of the one at Gateway, but the Western Naval Command said it would be too close to their naval base. A few months ago, the ports department had called on then Vice-Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh of the Western Naval Command and said that building a marina further south, near Radio Club, was a better alternative.

The MMB had floated a tender for the new marina in 2023 but the matter stalled. The proposal has been revived, especially in light of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s 100-day programme.

Speaker Narwekar told Hindustan Times after the meeting, “I said the jetty is a good project but traffic congestion must be kept in mind. The heritage value of this area must also be kept in mind. Altering the Gateway promenade to construct a new jetty will damage the heritage precinct. A new jetty here would cause traffic congestion. Unless a traffic simulation study is done, I am not in favour of the project. It should be shifted to Princess Dock.’’

Colaba promenade resident Vijay Chhabria pointed out, “The Taj Hotel has barely any parking space. This has led to double parking on the Gateway promenade by cars belonging to visitors of the hotel. A marina here would cause even more congestion.’’

MMB officers present at Tuesday’s meeting said Princess Dock may not be an appropriate alternative venue for a marina as fishermen use the space to anchor and berth their vessels. Besides, the RoRo ferries that operated from here require a large space as their vessels have a large turning radius.

Ports and fisheries minister Nitesh Rane is clearly in favour of the Gateway-Radio Club venue. He told Hindustan Times, “The residents believe we are planning a marina, but we are not. This is a jetty with large parking spots. It is meant to decongest the Gateway of India area. We had made a presentation to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for the government’s 100-day programme and he was impressed. We will have a meeting with ALMs and others, and present the facts to them.’’

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