Radio Club marina work begins; upset locals to move court

Time of India

24-04-2025

Mumbai:
Maharashtra Maritime Board
(MMB) on Thursday allowed contractor
RKC International
to barricade a portion of the eastern waterfront between the Gateway of India and Radio Club to start construction of piles for the Rs 190-crore state-of-the-art marina that will have capacity to anchor around 20 public passenger boats.
The project is expected to be completed in a couple of years, MMB officials said.
Upset with the barricading of the site,
Colaba residents
have decided to move court against the upcoming jetty. Colaba resident and advocate Prerak Choudhary said they had sought 27 documents, including traffic analysis and expert reports, from BMC and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board under the MRTP Act, as well as affidavits and indemnities submitted to Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority, but did not receive any of them. "Hence, we have been forced to move court," he said.
Laura Dsouza, president of
Cuffe Parade Residents' Association
, said on seeing the barricades, upset residents wrote in chalk at the promenade: "Shift the jetty" and "Colaba stands united", but were asked to erase them. "How can they barricade the pavements after giving an assurance that the marina work will not begin until residents are provided with all 27 documents," said Dsouza, adding that no work order was produced till they insisted on it.
AGNI coordinator of A ward Jennifer Shetty claimed that the Archaeological Survey of India nod has lapsed for the marina project, but MMB officials said renewed permission has been issued.