Expert panel defers Mumbai’s marina plan

The Mumbai Port Trust’s (MbPT) plans for a ₹364.84-crore marina at Prince’s Dock has been deferred by an expert panel of the Central government. In a meeting held

The Mumbai Port Trust’s (MbPT) plans for a ₹364.84-crore marina at Prince’s Dock has been deferred by an expert panel of the Central government. In a meeting held via video-conferencing on April 28, environment ministry’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) has raised concerns over the impact of the reclamation for migratory birds and roosting sites.

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EAC has also stated that ‘project proponent’ needs to be ‘mindful’ of the possible increase in traffic volume owing to the recreational facility and asked for detailed designs of the marina with ‘impact during floods/storm surges’.

With a decline in port activities, MbPT has envisaged a major urban overhaul of the eastern waterfront stretching from Wadala to Colaba in the city. As part of the plan, the port trust proposed a marina with a capacity for 300 yachts on an 8.02-hectare land at Prince’s Dock in south Mumbai. The project falls under Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)-II, CRZ-1 (B) and CRZ-IV as per approved Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2011, the committee notes.

The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) had recommended the proposal for clearance in December 2019. Sanjay Bhatia, chairman, MbPT, said, “They (EAC) have raised some queries. We will reply to that.”

MbPT had earlier received CRZ clearance for undertaking reclamation for an Offshore Container Terminal (OCT) in 2006. While reclamation was undertaken in 2015-16, few pockets were left un-reclaimed, and the project was shelved. The new marina project has been proposed by “re-storing water bodies by re-excavation of existing part basin”, the committee notes.

It states, “However, the committee also desired to know the impact of such reclamation on near shore areas for migratory birds and roosting sites, if any, with focus on whether such reclamation and subsequent impact (both positive and negative) on migratory birds will affect Navi Mumbai International Airport air safety.”

In its letter to MbPT in 2019, Mumbai-based Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI) had objected to the development of a marina in the area saying that it is “a high-capital project that will exclusively cater to a select few privileged owners of yachts.”