Rs 229 crore VIP jetty that is planned to be constructed close to the Gateway of India has drawn criticism from the boat companies that operate there. According to the ferry operators’ association, their vessels would not be allowed to berth on the jetty.
Residents of South Mumbai have been vehemently opposing the Maharashtra Maritime Board’s proposed jetty, which will be constructed close to the Gateway of India. Two other parties have also petitioned the Bombay High Court against the project, despite the inhabitants’ claims that it will cause problems for them because of its negative effects on the ecology, traffic, and the heritage precinct.
The Gateway Elephanta Jal-Vahatuk Sahakari Sanstha Maryadit has claimed that because the proposed jetty will be constructed 650 meters deep into the ocean, it will not be able to accommodate their boats. According to the group, having a jetty in the specified location would be pointless because the water is extremely choppy deep in the ocean, making it difficult to berth.
The organisation’s letter to the residents’ association on Monday stated, “We have closely examined the plan and are fully aware that the entire plan for the new jetty is flawed and will not be feasible for us ferry operators at all.”
Nitesh Rane, the minister of fisheries and ports development, declared on March 18 that the jetty would only be used by cricket players, celebrities, and VIP ships. There is a lot of doubt, though, as to whether the project will be useful to both ferry operators and the general public because it does not formally indicate that it is exclusive to VIPs.
“Our association has about 100 ferries, while another 250 smaller boats as well as speed boats are also operated from the Gateway of India,” Iqbal Mukadam, secretary of the ferry operators’ association, told The Free Press Journal. This is how we make a living, and we have been kept in the dark about how this project will turn out.
Source: The Free Press Journal
