With MTHL off ground, residents question use of ₹111 crore Nerul jetty

The residents of Navi Mumbai are questioning the fate of the Nerul Jetty, constructed as a water transport option, after the inauguration of the MTHL sea link. The jetty has been lying defunct for over three years, and with the MTHL reducing travel time to Mumbai, its chances of being revived are slim. However, some believe that the jetty still has importance if the issue of inadequate water is resolved. CIDCO had planned to commission the jetty last year but received no response to tender bids.

Navi Mumbai: The inauguration of the much awaited MTHL has become the talk of the town, but the residents of Navi Mumbai are raising questions about the fate of the Nerul Jetty constructed at a cost ₹111 crore as a water transport option to commute to Mumbai. With 22-kilometer sea link shrinking the distance to just 20 minutes, the residents and activists are questioning what role the jetty constructed in 2021 will now play.

Navi Mumbai, India - April 28, 2023:Nerul Jetty at Seawoos in Navi Mumbai, India, on Friday, April 28, 2023. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)

“MTHL is certainly an amazing development and has indeed got the entire city excited but the question that needs to be addressed by the authorities is the purpose of the multi crore jetty in Nerul. Already the jetty has been lying defunct for over three years and now with MTHL ,its chance of getting revived appears to be very slim,” said Sunil Agarwal, social activist and resident of Nerul, .

Two jetty were developed by CIDCO in Nerul and at Belapur as alternate means of transport system to ease traffic congestion on city roads. In case of Nerul jetty specifically, it is proposed to have RO-RO service which would allow citizend to travel along with their vehicles to destinations such as Mumbai as well as Mandva. “ The jetty was to be commissioned last year and CIDCO had even invited tender bids but it seems to have received no response. I believe this is also the reason that jetty is still not evoked interest from the Maritime board as well,” said Agarwal.

While CIDCO remained unavailable for comments but former mariner with Indian Navy, Sanjay Verma terms the jetty to be of still of importance provided CIDCO works out the issue pertaining to lack of adequate water. “Nerul jetty’s drawback is that the water level is not suitable for big ships to enter and the solution is to undertake continuous soil dredging as seen in Mumbai Ports. The opening of MTHL shouldn’t affect the jetty because in absence of direct connectivity from any part of Navi Mumbai, daily commuting via the sealink is not going to be viable,” said Verma.

With Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Rajan Vichare had said that the Centre administrative approval of ₹100 crore last year for constructing jetties at Mira Road, Nagla Bunder at Ghobunder road, and Kolshet in Thane and link them to jetties at Airoli, nerul and Belapur as part of a water transport project.

Just like the mariner, there are others, too, rooting for the jetty. “MTHL will be mostly used as a joyride to experience the 22 km engineering marvel, but otherwise for Navi Mumbai residents even now the best possible route to Mumbai is via Eastern Freeway, which is nearer and minus the ₹250 one-way toll on MTHL sea link. So if and when CIDCO decides to operate the jetty, it will be added means of transportation,” said a resident and activist BN Kumar.