MUMBAI: Three days after ports minister Nitesh Rane performed groundbreaking ceremony of a Rs 229-crore passenger jetty and terminal building near Gateway of India, Colaba residents urged legislative assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, who is also the local MLA, to “stay” the project.
Residents termed the ceremony “hasty” – it was done four days after state finance minister Ajit Pawar allotted Rs 229.3 crore for the project in the 2025-26 state budget – and accused govt of ignoring their objections to the project. They claimed the jetty would have “catastrophic consequences for the city” and was pushed through without taking them into confidence.
Narwekar said he had initially raised objections to the heritage and traffic congestion aspects of the project. “But govt has assured me that the heritage precinct will not be affected and the traffic issue will be addressed. I have requested Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) to share the project details with residents. MMB has assured that the project will not affect the day-to-day life of Colaba residents,” he said.
“This week, I will organise a meeting of residents with MMB officials and if possible, the CM, where all their concerns will be addressed,” Rane said.
In its letter to Narwekar, Clean Heritage Colaba Residents Association claimed: “The jetty will have catastrophic consequences for the city… Just as you granted a stay for robotic parking in Mumbadevi, we urge you to immediately grant a stay to the jetty work being carried out until proper feasibility is conducted, also factoring in high tides, rising sea levels, climate change impact, environmental imbalances, and heritage precinct which will be impacted, leading to flooding and risk of lives and property in the area.”