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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
The city betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, aka ₹814.04 crore
MUMBAI: Mumbai has again been buried under the debris of broken promises. The Mumbai Port Authority's (MbPA) cynical parceling of 215 acres of land effectively means that, instead of a planned mixed-use development of the almost contiguous eastern waterfront, we will be stuck with ad hoc commercial or industrial monoliths blocking out the sky and refreshing sea air. This is the thin end of the wedge, the beginning of the inevitable fall of dominoes. The city betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, aka ₹ 814.04 crore More space earmarked for public good will be swallowed by private greed. Covert as well: ₹814.04 crore is a clear undervaluation of prime, shore-line land; remember, the surrendered non-dock-use, 966-hectare bonanza stretches from Colaba to Wadala. The incredible excuse offered is that in toto development could only happen if the entire area was available; much of it is currently tenanted, and only untenant parcels are up for the 30-year lease. Wow! So MbPA's 'solution' is to further encumber the valuable stretch, and thus make in toto development even less possible. Moreover, as Pankaj Joshi pointed out in these columns last Thursday, the land is not MbPA's to hand out. When port activities shifted to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), non-dock-use lots were to be returned to the city for purposes such as 'urban planning infrastructure, economic, environmental, housing development, tourism'. There's scary déjà vu about the way a second windfall has blown away, and with it the opportunity to make Mumbai livable, workable, breathable again. Just as the Bombay Port Trust (as MbPA was earlier called) had been gifted land for economically important shipping, millowners were granted long leases at nominal rates for Bombay's other wealth-creator. In 1991, under Charles Correa's visionary masterplan, Development Control Regulation (DCR) 58 ordained a three-way division of freed-up mill-land: one-third each for public utilities including open recreational spaces and affordable housing; the rest retained by original owners for private development. But in 2001, Vilasrao Deshmukh's government castrated DCR 58 by declaring that only vacant mill-land was eligible. Since mills are scattered with diverse sheds, the city got a pointless 32-acre instead of the expected, transformative 166. Only mill-owners, developers and political facilitators laughed all the way to the bank. The former Girangaon of Lalbaug-Parel continues to weep over its multiple afflictions. The Waterfront project would have specifically uplifted the city's eastern flank – cruelly bypassed by the infrastructure lavished on the west. Planners seem to think that the stretch along D'Mello/ Dockyard Road is still just a depression of scabrous warehouses, when in fact there's an increasing density of housing colonies with correspondingly deeper problems of connectivity. To wit: · Eastern freeway mockingly whizzes past; to use it, 'easterners' must negotiate the snarl of Antop Hill or travel all the way to Reay Road. · Engineering marvel Atal Setu's entry point is more manageable, but who needs its distant destinations? · At-hand monorail doesn't serve the needs of adjacent populations either, but it has swallowed half the carriageway of arterial roads. · Ambitious Sewri-Worli Elevated Connector will be this congested area's first gateway to the Worli-Bandra Sealink and all the blandishments to its south and north. Its two arms are growing apace, but their union is barred by old Elphinstone bridge; its closure has been held up by residents of two abutting chawls demanding intractable in situ rehabilitation; even dismantling and reconstruction could stretch interminably going by the Kaftaesque experience of nearby Delisle road bridge. · Metro? Yes, the city's true public transport saviour will come – but on the wrong, undeveloped side of the Harbour Line track. Obsolescence is an essential of progress. Rust belts echo 'Ozymandias' -- P B Shelley's poem on the crumbling legacy of a once-proud king, and reimagined in the eponymous episode of Breaking Bad. But, the world over, new Phoenixes rise, and shine with a well-planned mix of leisure, retail and entertainment that serves both public good and private gain. Like Belfast's Titanic Quarter, the Waterfront project had unique potential for learning and leisure, with enough commerce to bankroll it. If we let it sink, it will take the city with it. Docks facilitated Bombay's glorious past. Current greed will blight not just its present, but its future too. Mindless over-construction isn't threatening only the distant Himalaya. (Bachi Karkaria is a city chronicler and best-selling author.)
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Oppn slams MbPA on waterfront lease move, says citizens must benefit instead
MUMBAI: Opposition parties on Tuesday slammed the Mumbai Port Authority's decision to lease 215 acres of its land for up to 30 years, effectively shelving the grand plan to develop the eastern waterfront with world-class amenities such as entertainment and recreational spaces, a state-of-the-art marina, convention centres, water transport facilities, and a global business district. Mumbai, India. Aug 11, 2025: Erstwhile HPLC plot of Mumbai Port Trust (MPT) property opposite BPT Hospital in Wadala. MPT is inviting expressions of interest from eligible parties for leasing prime land parcels for industrial and commercial purposes on a long-term basis of 30 India. Au 11, 2025. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Raju Shinde) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said, 'Why should someone sitting in New Delhi's government offices decide what happens to Mumbai's east coast? In 2013, Uddhav Thackeray ji placed a presentation in front of Mumbaikars, to get our east coast back from the MbPA. A committee was set up by (Nitin) Gadkari ji, which went on endlessly and was then abandoned.' The Sena (UBT) leader added, 'For a decade, the Union government has been harassing Mumbaikars with notices to evict them under the Public Premises Act, many of whom have been here as a family since pre-Independence times. Why should this land belong to the Mumbai Port Authority and not the BMC? Why shouldn't the BMC and our city earn revenue from it?' Thackeray alleged, 'The MbPA wants to evict fisherfolk at Sassoon Dock, is stalling redevelopment of BDD Chawl at Sewri, and now it wants to earn from our city.' The Congress too objected to the move. Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, 'There must be an investigation into who will ultimately benefit from leasing the properties. This land belongs to India. Mumbai city was developed because of its ports.'' Clyde Crasto, national spokesperson of the NCP (SP), remarked, 'As shipping minister, Nitin Gadkari had asked MbPA to prepare a comprehensive plan for the holistic redevelopment of the waterfront. This piecemeal approach does not work for the city. There must also be transparency. Mumbai needs open spaces, which were in the original plan.' The eastern waterfront plan received a boost when Nitin Gadkari took over as Union transport and ports minister, after the NDA government assumed power in 2014. A committee was set up under then MbPA chairperson Sanjay Bhatia, to develop 966.3 hectares of idle land along the city's east coast, between Colaba and Wadala. The committee submitted its plan and, in December 2018, the MbPA (then known as Mumbai Port Trust) was appointed as the special planning authority for the project. The plan was, however, put on the backburner when Gadkari lost the ports portfolio in a cabinet reshuffle in 2019. The MbPA, which owns most of the land along this stretch, has instead decided to lease 215 acres along the coast for up to 30 years, exclusively for industrial and commercial purposes. In doing so, it aims to earn a minimum ₹814.04 crore in revenue annually. The port authority published an Expression of Interest (EOI) on Monday, offering 28 properties – 27 plots in Mumbai and one in Thal in Raigad district. The last date for submission is September 11. These properties include a 22-hectare plot at Princess Dock near the domestic cruise terminal; a 1.2-lakh sq m plot that once housed an HPCL facility in Wadala; a 42,955-sq m plot that used to house warehouses of the Food Corporation of India in Wadala; the Sewri Timber Pond, a cargo storage yard measuring 1.04 lakh sq m near the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link; among various other buildings it owns. Urban planners pointed to another major urban renewal plan, which aimed to balance public amenities, affordable housing and commercial development that was not implemented as intended. This was the plan to redevelop vast tracts of defunct mill land in Lower Parel, while safeguarding the interests of the mill workers. The plan, conceptualised in 1996, had recommended dividing the land into three portions – allocating one part for open spaces and amenities, another for mass public housing, and the third for commercial utilisation, which could be sold by mill owners. But when the plan was implemented, the then government decided that the three portions would be carved out of the open space on the mill properties, not the total land housing the mills. The mill owners then sold the space occupied by mills, giving rise to the largely commercial precinct we see today. Planners fear the eastern waterfront plan may meet the same fate. Will the waterfront go the Lower Parel way? Following the MbPA's decision to lease its idle land and structures, urban planners are asking whether the eastern waterfront will go the Lower Parel way. Now a busy commercial district that includes some residential layouts, Lower Parel was once the beating heart of Mumbai's textile trade. When the mills fell silent in the 1980s, vast stretches of prime land in Central Mumbai began to lie idle. Intending to monetise it, the government asked noted architect and urban planner, Charles Correa, to prepare a plan for the holistic development of the mill land, in 1996. Correa recommended dividing the land into three parts – one going to the mill owners for commercial development; the second for mass housing, for the mill workers; and the third for public amenities and infrastructure. The plan was never implemented in its original form. It was instead tweaked in favour of mill owners, who received way more than the land assigned to them. The result is the haphazard development of the precinct in the last 10 to 1 5 years, with largely commercial highrises dotting the skyline. The district lacks supporting infrastructure and the public amenities citizens were once promised. Today, narrow streets and traffic chaos defines Lower Parel, congested railway station areas and inadequate parking lots. Activists and planners fear the area under the MbPA, which was meant to be developed in a planned manner to the benefit of citizens, might meet the same fate.
Time of India
12-08-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Commercial hub makeover on the cards for Mumbai's eastern waterfront as port authority invites proposals to lease 28 plots
Mumbai: The city's eastern waterfront may soon host corporate, business, trade and IT parks, besides state-of-the-art warehouses and godowns. Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) plans to lease out 28 plots totalling over 217 acres near the sea on the east coast of Mumbai and Raigad district, for a period of 30 years for commercial and industrial purposes to earn Rs 814 crore annually. These plots are located in areas like Wadala, Sewri, Reay Road, P'Dmello Road, Colaba, Fort, Mazgaon, Sasson Dock, Mallet Bunder, and near Thal beach in Alibaug, according to the notice issued by the port authority. MbPA owns a large stretch of coastal belt spanning nearly 28km from Colaba end to Wadala. According to sources, the commercial and industrial development will also ensure facilities around tourism, recreation, and entertainment, including a marina, amphitheatre, and large landscapes. The plan, however, does not include residential permissions. On Monday, MbPA published an expression of interest offering the 28 properties — 27 in Mumbai, and one in Thal in Raigad district. The lease also includes MbPA-owned buildings along the city's eastern waterfront, according to the EOI. The last date for submission of bids is Sept 11. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai | Gold Rates Today in Mumbai | Silver Rates Today in Mumbai "Nearly 70% of MbPA cargo is liquid-like chemicals and petroleum; hence warehousing, godowns, and industrial & commercial activities have been the priorities," said sources. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Indonesia: New Container Houses (Prices May Surprise You) Container House | Search Ads Search Now Undo In Dec 2018, MbPA was appointed as the special planning authority for the development of the 966-hectare Eastern Waterfront into a world-class hub focused on tourism, recreation, entertainment, a marina and commercial spaces. A committee headed by then-MbPA chairperson Sanjay Bhatia had released a draft development plan for public scrutiny. The draft plan was finalised, but later put in cold storage. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Hindustan Times
12-08-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Mumbai Port Authority to lease 28 plots of over 217 acres in Mumbai and Alibaug, raise over ₹800 crore annually
The Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) plans to lease 28 plots of over 217 acres near the sea on the east coast of Mumbai, including Alibag, also known as Eastern Water Front. The port trust will lease these land parcels for a period of 30 years for commercial and industrial purposes in order to raise over ₹800 crore. Mumbai real estate update: The 27 plots located in Mumbai are in areas like Wadala, Sewree, Reay Road, P'Dmello Road, Colaba, Fort, Mazgaon, Sasson Dock, Mallet Bunder. (Picture for representational purposes only)(Mehul R Thakkar/HT) These plots are located in areas like Wadala, Sewree, Reay Road, P'Dmello Road, Colaba, Fort, Mazgaon, Sasson Dock, Mallet Bunder and near Thal beach in Alibaug, according to the notice issued by the port authority. By leasing these properties, the MbPA hopes to raise over ₹800 crore in revenue annually. The Port Authority published an Expression of Interest (EOI) on August 11, offering 28 properties on 215 acres, 27 plots in Mumbai and one in Thal in Raigad district, according to a report by Hindustan Times. The last date for submission is September 11. Also Read: Mumbai real estate market: Should you buy an apartment on leasehold or freehold land? Netizens weigh in Port Authority to permit only industrial and commercial use of the plots The EOI states that the plots will not be allotted for residential purposes, and the authority will permit only industrial and commercial use of the plots for a 30-year lease. The Mumbai Port Authority is one of the biggest landlords among the state and central government agencies. Several government agencies like the National Textiles Corporation, Maharashtra government, the Central government, Central Railway, Western Railway also own a significant portion of land parcels in the city. Also Read: Six landlords who control more than 10% of Mumbai's land The 28 plots being leased by the Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) include several key parcels: a 22-hectare plot at Princess Dock near the domestic cruise terminal; a 29-acre site in Wadala that formerly housed a Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) facility; a 10-acre plot previously used by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) as a warehouse in Wadala; 25 acres of land at the Sewri Timber Pond; and a cargo storage yard located near the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL). The lease also includes various MbPA-owned buildings along the city's eastern waterfront, according to the Expression of Interest (EOI) issued by the Port Authority. Also Read: Mumbai real estate: Where can you buy a second home close to the financial capital with a ₹50 lakh budget? Eastern Waterfront plan put under cold storage? In December 2018, the MbPA was appointed as the Special Planning Authority (SPA) for the development of the 966-hectare Eastern Waterfront at the centre of this grand design. A committee headed by then-MbPA chairperson Sanjay Bhatia released a draft development plan for public scrutiny. It was later finalised but put in cold storage, according to a report published in the Hindustan Times.
Hindustan Times
12-08-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Mumbai's eastern waterfront plan shelved?
Mumbai: One of Mumbai's most transformative plans – developing the city's eastern waterfront into a world-class hub focused on tourism, recreation, entertainment, a marina and commercial spaces – has been all but shelved. The grand plan, drawn up in 2018 but hanging fire ever since, reimagined the 28-km coastal stretch from Colaba to Wadala as a vibrant urban landmark. The MbPA plans to lease out warehouses at Sassoon Dock (Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) Now, the Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA), which owns most of the land along this stretch, has decided to instead lease 215 acres along the eastern shoreline for up to 30 years, for industrial and commercial purposes. This has virtually laid to rest the ambitious waterfront master plan, which would have unlocked 966 hectares that fell into disuse ever since port activities shifted from Mumbai to the Jawaharlal Nehru port across the harbour in Navi Mumbai. By leasing these properties, the MbPA is eyeing a minimum ₹814.04 crore in revenue annually. The port authority published an Expression of Interest (EOI) on Monday, offering 28 properties on 215 acres – 27 plots in Mumbai and one in Thal in Raigad district. The last date for submission is September 11. These properties include a 22-hectare plot at Princess Dock near the domestic cruise terminal; a 1.2-lakh sq m plot that once housed an HPCL facility in Wadala; a 42,955-sq m plot that used to have warehouses of the Food Corporation of India in Wadala; the Sewri Timber Pond, a cargo storage yard measuring 1.04 lakh sq m near the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link; and various buildings owned by the MbPA along the city's east coast. According to the EOI, the MbPA intends to allot plots/buildings in one of South Mumbai's most coveted locations on long lease, strictly for non-residential purposes. The plots will be allotted for industrial/commercial use. The MbPA's decision to lease these plots has cast doubt on the intention to implement the much-talked-about eastern waterfront plan, which received a boost when Nitin Gadkari was appointed ports minister after the NDA government came to power at the centre in 2014. The plan envisages a world-class promenade along the eastern shoreline, with playgrounds, a marina, gardens, amphitheaters, spaces for arts and culture, a cruise terminal, sea transport facilities and other public amenities. It would also boast convention centres and a business district built to global standards. The ambitious plan also aims to revamp Sassoon Dock, one of Mumbai's oldest docks, and build a ropeway connecting the Elephanta Caves to Sewri on the mainland. If implemented, it would have not only unlocked the commercial potential of this vast swathe of land, but also resuscitated a portion Mumbai, a city starved of open spaces and citizen amenities. In December 2018, the MbPA (then known as the Mumbai Port Trust) was appointed as the Special Planning Authority to lead the development of the 966 hectares at the centre of this grand design. A committee headed by then MbPA chairperson Sanjay Bhatia released a draft development plan for public scrutiny. It was later finalised – but put in cold storage. Government sources say the plan was placed on the backburner after Gadkari was divested of the ports ministry in a reshuffle at the centre in 2019. Opposition parties in Maharashtra had alleged that the BJP government at the centre had sidelined the plan in favour of developing GIFT City in Gujarat. With a large section of the land now proposed to be leased by the MbPA, the waterfront project has effectively been shelved, officials said. According to Girish Shirsat, estate manager, MbPA, 'We are leasing plots that are vacant. Overall development can take place only when all the plots are vacant. At present, we have existing tenants on many plots. Hence, overall development cannot take place.' Milind Kulkarni, chief engineer with MbPA's asset monetisation department, added, 'We want to check the market's pulse. We have floated an Expression of Interest and will then invite a request for proposal. Most of the properties we intend to lease are godowns and we will allow only industrial and commercial use.'' Retired state government officials who have been part of various Mumbai development projects said the move to lease plots would defeat the purpose of the eastern waterfront plan. Former urban development secretary, T C Benjamin, who played an important role in the construction of the Eastern Freeway, said, 'The MbPA is slowly losing its relevance as a port because of the JNPA port in Raigad. Now a new port is being built at Vadhavan. An alternative was to develop the eastern coastline and it should have been developed as an open space and recreational space. It is a critical need in a congested city like Mumbai.' He added, 'At present, there is no tourist attraction in Mumbai except the Gateway of India and Nehru Planetarium. Land use must be carefully planned as Mumbai's carrying capacity is limited. They must consult experts before developing the land.'' Rahul Asthana, former MbPA chairperson and former commissioner, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said, 'Nearly 70% of MbPA cargo is liquid like chemicals and petroleum. There must be an overall plan for development and not piecemeal development. Liquid cargo does not require much land¸ which can be freed up.'' Former IAS officer Sanjay Ubale, who was secretary, special projects, and a part of several makeover projects in the city, said, 'Giving land on lease on a piecemeal basis will rob the city of a valuable waterfront for several years. A detailed plan was prepared by Sanjay Bhatia, then chairperson of MbPA, for land use. This plan needs to be put into action, to meet the target of a 1-trillion-dollar economy for Mumbai.'' Former Union minister of state for shipping, Milind Deora, said, 'Mumbai has benefited from the port and MbPA has benefited from Mumbai. The MbPA must work in tandem with the state and not in isolation.' Town planner and former president of the Practising Engineers Architects and Town Planners Association, Manoj Daisaria, is of a different view. 'Mumbai requires warehousing facilities and there is a dearth of space. Leasing plots will open up warehousing facilities apart from commercial offices. These lands are strategically located. The MbPA can modernise the Mumbai port with money earned. Most of these plots are close to the Atal Setu and accessibility is excellent.'' Significantly, the warehouses at Sassoon Dock are also proposed to be leased, which means the fishing community that uses them as seafood processing centres may face eviction.
