Jetty off Nariman Point to give easier access to proposed mid-sea Shivaji Memorial

Currently, all ferries set sail from the Gateway of India. The proposed mid-sea Shivaji Memorial is approximately 19-22km from the Gateway, as ferries have to take a roundabout route.

The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) is planning to build a jetty near the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) at Nariman Point to reduce the travel time to the proposed mid-sea Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial from an hour to around 15 minutes.

The proposed mid-sea Shivaji Memorial is approximately 19-22km from the Gateway of India as ferries have to take a roundabout route. With a new jetty at Nariman Point, the distance from main land will be reduced to around 4.8 km. (HT File)

Currently, all ferries set sail from the Gateway of India. The memorial is approximately 19-22km from the Gateway, as ferries have to take a roundabout route. “However, a jetty near NCPA will reduce the distance to around 4.8km,” said Vikram Kumar, the chief executive officer, MMB. The MMB plans to reclaim four acres of land near NCPA to build the jetty for ferries to the memorial at an estimated cost of around ₹250 crore

The memorial site is around 1.2km from Raj Bhavan and 3.6km from Girgaum Chowpatty.

A jetty near NCPA would also help decongest the anchorage at Gateway of India, MMB officials said.

“Once the memorial is ready, a lot of tourists are expected to visit it. An additional jetty will help take the load off the anchorage. Apart from ferries to the memorial, we can also use the jetty for services to Alibaug and the Konkan area,” said a senior MMB official who did not wish to be named.

“We recently wrote to the Centre for funds for the jetty, under the Sagarmala project. If approved, 50% of the project cost would be shared by the Centre,” Kumar said.

Currently, the Mumbai Port Trust issues permissions to all vessels operating from the Gateway of India, while MMB issues fitness certificates. With a new jetty, the MMB would get an additional source of revenue, senior officials said.