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Time of India
15 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Gateway to Navi Mumbai Airport in 40 min: E-water taxis, marina to speed up commute
As work on the Rs 190 crore Gateway of India-Radio Club marina project has begun and the state govt has already announced plans for water taxis, the transport scenario on the city's eastern waterfront is slated to offer citizens game-changing commute to the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport. E-water taxi project Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) will operate 15 electric boats on the Gateway of India–Elephanta Caves–Alibaug route. Cost: Rs 330 crore; eachboat will cost Rs 22 crore. The plan, recently submitted to MMB, was suggested by Kochi Water Metro, the project consultant. Services likely to begin by end of monsoon, initially with 2 vessels, with capacity for 30 passengers each. Boat manufacturer : Candella, a Swedish firm specialising in hydrofoil technology. Design of the new boats Computer-guided underwater hydrofoil used to elevate hull out of water and minimise drag, giving illusion of flying. Hydrofoil boats consume much less energy than traditional high-speed ferries and operate at 18-30 knots. Marina project Currently, 30-35L passengers travel each year from jetties along the Gateway of India to Elephanta, Alibaug, and Navi Mumbai Given the huge potential, MMB has awarded contracts for the construction of marinas at Gateway of India and Radio Club, to tackle handling of 2.5 lakh+ passengers/year. How the marina and water taxis will help traffic bound for new airport Quick commute: 40-minute journey from south Mumbai to the airport Faster than road: It will save more than 30 minutes compared to travel via MTHL Eco-friendly travel: Electric taxis cut emissions and pollution Decongest roads: Less load on road and rail infrastructure Fuel saver: Less dependence on vehicles Scenic route: Pleasant travel via Mumbai harbour, Gateway, Elephanta and flamingo habitat at Nerul-Belapur creek Deadline for the project is 2027. The marina project will have a parking facility for 150 cars, huge terminal waiting areas, a luggage handling system, an open air amphitheatre and e-golf carts for transportation.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Drilling is cracking Gateway promenade wall: SoBo locals
Mumbai: Colaba residents have raised concerns about cracks in the stone wall of the Gateway promenade, extending beyond the cordoned jetty construction area. These cracks are allegedly caused by pile drilling for a new Rs 200 crore marina project for passenger ferry boats and catamarans, between Radio club and the Taj promenade. Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB), in collaboration with RKC International, is constructing a modern marina worth Rs 190 cr, designed to accommodate 20 passenger boats. MMB officials dismissed the concerns, stating the cracks predated the construction. They assert their advanced piling machine generates only 20 surds of vibration, well below the permitted 50-60 surds. MMB chairman Pradeep Prabhakar dismissed the circulated crack photos as "fake", stating the wall was already deteriorating before construction began. Dr Laura Dsouza, head of Cuffe Parade Residents Assn, said the wall has developed fresh cracks, with portions crumbling due to construction vibrations. Former resident and architect Moayyed Fatehi warned of irreversible nature of piles driven into rocky seabed and potential wall damage before rains. TNN Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Hindustan Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HC seeks state's response to plea challenging jetty near Radio Club
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Friday directed the Maharashtra government to submit its response to a petition challenging the construction of a proposed passenger jetty and terminal near Radio Club in south Mumbai by June 7. The petition – filed by around 150 residents of Colaba including proprietors, tenants and business operators – contends that the project poses substantial risk of causing irreversible harm to the heritage precinct, marine ecosystem, adjacent infrastructure, and the overall quality of life for thousands of residents and visitors. Residents have been opposing the project since it was first proposed in early 2023, and those who have voiced their concerns include BJP MLA and speaker of the legislative assembly Rahul Narwekar and former councillor Makarand Narwekar. The project involves construction of a terminal platform on stilts in the sea, which would include parking for 150 cars, VIP waiting areas, ticket counters, administrative offices, restaurants, and retail spaces, a tennis racquet-shaped jetty and an amphitheatre. According to the petition, Colaba residents were assured that plans for a jetty at the location had not been finalised and a proposal to shift it to a different place was under consideration. But in January-February 2025, they learned that the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) had revived the proposal. A ceremonial ground-breaking ceremony was conducted at the site without any prior public consultation or notification, the petition states. On April 24, 2025, officers and staves of MMB barricaded a portion of the sea front pavement, obstructing pedestrian access, causing inconvenience, and creating safety hazards in an already congested area, it notes. The project will require demolition or alteration of a part of the seaside promenade, which will substantially impact the historic character of the area and restrict public access to the promenade, the petition contends. The project raises serious national security concerns due to its proximity to the Naval Dockyard, a high-security defence installation, the petition further contends, urging the court to stay construction activities and quash the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance granted by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) for the project. On Friday, senior advocate Aspi Chinoy, representing the petitioners, called the project arbitrary and illegal, and argued that clearances and no-objection certificates for the project were issued without following due process. Authorities had already barricaded the project area and demarcated the portion of the promenade that will be knocked down, Chinoy informed the court. Advocate general Birendra Saraf, appearing for the state, assured the court that the wall would not be broken before June 20. After the brief hearing, the division bench of chief justice Alok Aradhe and justice MS Karnik directed the respondents to file their reply by June 7, with any rejoinder to be submitted on or before June 12. The next hearing is scheduled on June 16.
Hindustan Times
29-04-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Colaba residents move HC against controversial jetty and terminal project
MUMBAI: The Clean and Heritage Colaba Residents' Association (CHCRA), representing 400 residents, filed a writ petition in the Bombay high court on Monday against the Mumbai Maritime Board (MMB), the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), the BMC's Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC), the traffic police and the contractor constructing the proposed 'passenger jetty and terminal facilities' in the sea. The project is approximately 280 metres from the Gateway of India, near the Radio Club end of the Colaba seafront. The residents have objected to the scale of the proposed project, calling it excessive, and have specifically contested the MCZMA's approval of March 2, 2023, which treated the project as a 'standalone jetty'. The petition states that the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification permits only consideration of 'standalone jetties'—a category that this large multi-functional structure does not fall under. The petition also contests the heritage NOC of February 7, 2025, granted by the municipal architect despite the fact that the project site lies within the buffer/vista zone of the Gateway of India, a Grade I listed heritage monument, and the Fort precinct. It also submits that access to the terminal reportedly involves the removal of a section of the Gateway promenade/sea wall, an area where even minor facade changes to private buildings are currently restricted. It states that the MHCC has nonetheless approved the project, which threatens to dwarf and visually disrupt the iconic Gateway structure. CHRCA has thus sought a review of the decision to build the jetty and terminal from the P J Ramchandani Marg footpath area into the sea, and urged the court to restrain MMB from demolishing the promenade wall, and proceeding with construction. It argues that the project threatens the character of the Gateway precinct and will obstruct pedestrian access along the popular seafront promenade. The citizens' group has also contested the traffic NOC issued by the Mumbai police on February 28, 2025. Its contention is that despite ongoing and severe congestion in the area, the Mumbai traffic police granted an NOC, considering only the construction phase and not the operational impact of the terminal and jetty. It also states in the petition that there was no public notice, hearing, or opportunity for objections afforded to the local residents at any stage of the approval process. Following the bhoomi poojan in March 2025, the state's minister for ports development publicly stated that the jetty would be used exclusively for VIPs, celebrities and cricketers' yachts, further reinforcing the project's exclusionary and non-public nature, says the petition. It submits that the proposed passenger jetty and terminal facilities, covering nearly 15 acres of sea area, with a jetty extending over half a kilometre into the sea and directly abutting a protected heritage site, is illegal, arbitrary, irrational, and destructive to the character and heritage of the Gateway of India precinct. CHCRA's advocate Prerak Choudhary told HT, 'We tried our best to have a dialogue with them but despite giving us assurances, they proceeded with the project and left us with no option but to move court.'
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Colaba residents move HC to halt Radio Club jetty work
Mumbai: Colaba residents have moved the Bombay high court urging to quash and set aside the decision of the state govt and Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) to construct a passenger jetty and terminal facilities near Radio Club. "Such a terminal building and huge jetty will destroy the heritage vista of the harbour from the promenade and the heritage Gateway of India when viewed from the of the sea wall and putting piles into the sea bed …will also jeopardise buildings (along the seafront)," stated the petition by Clean and Colaba Residents Association comprising over 400 residents. It has challenged the construction of the project "in the sea on stilts from the sea face abutting the Gateway of India and located near the Radio Club end". You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The petition, filed through advocate Prerak Choudhary, stated that the project involves a terminal building of approximately 1.5 acres and a tennis racket-shaped jetty that will extend further over half a kilometre into the sea. The total area covered by the project will be 15.5 acres i.e is about 70% of the size of Oval Maidan which is 22 acres. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [Click Here] - 2025 Top Trending Search - Local network access Esseps Learn More Undo The petition said the "gargantuan" structure has been approved by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority under the 2019 Coastal Zone Regulation notification that permits only a 'standalone jetty'. Further, the Heritage Conservation Committee approved this project which will require breaking of the wall of the seaside promenade for access to the terminal and will distort the sea front of the Gateway of India. "To preserve the character of this heritage area, owners of building/apartment situated on/along the waterfront have not been permitted to make even small changes to their frontages," it pointed out. The petition claimed that the entire approval process was done without public notice and the residents were not heard. Among the grounds, the association said there is "no application of mind as to the impact of the location and operation of such a jetty and a large terminal in an already traffic congested area". It also seeks the pending hearing and disposal of the petition for an injunction including the contractor, RKCE Projects, from implementing the project and preventing residents from using the pavement along the seafront.
