‘Hasty Judgement, Catastrophic Consequences’: Mumbai Residents Oppose Gateway Of India Jetty Project – News18

Last Updated:March 17, 2025, 17:25 IST

The residents urged the Fadnavis government to “stay” the project saying that it would have “catastrophic consequences for the city”.

Gateway Of India. (PTI)

Days after Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane performed a groundbreaking ceremony for a new passenger jetty and terminal building at Radio club near the iconic Gateway Of India in Mumbai, the residents urged the Fadnavis government to “stay” the project saying that it would have “catastrophic consequences for the city”.

Colaba residents in a letter to Assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar, who is also the local MLA, termed the decision and ground-breaking ceremony as “hasty”, saying that the ceremony was done mere “four days” after the state Finance Minister Ajit Pawar sanctioned Rs 229.3 crore for the project in the budget, the Times of India reported.

The residents further accused the government of ignoring their objections and complaints regarding the project which were raised at multiple occasions and multiple platforms. They further claimed that the project was pushed through without taking the residents and other stakeholders into confidence.

“The jetty will have catastrophic consequences for the city…as it is against the interest of not only the residents of Colaba, but also the citizens of Mumbai. The same is being done without taking local residents into confidence, nor have the requisite permissions been given…none of these permissions are in the public domain,” Clean Heritage Colaba Residents Association said in a letter to Narwekar as reported by the news outlet.

“Just as you granted a stay for the 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 the 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,” the letter read.

The residents demanded that before commencing the new project, long pending menaces, including double parking, illegal parking mafias, encroachments, should be addressed.

Meanwhile, Narwekar said that he had initially opposed the project citing 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 the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) to share the project details with residents. The MMB has assured that the project will not affect the day-to-day life of Colaba residents,” he said as reported by ToI.

In the groundbreaking ceremony, Rane had addressed the residents’ concerns saying that a traffic simulation study has been done, and this new jetty would improve passenger movement in the vicinity.

The facilities on the existing jetty at Gateway of India are inadequate for the passengers, which creates problems for the elderly, women and children. This proposed jetty between Gateway of India and the Radio Club will help reduce the pressure on the existing jetty at the monument, a statement issued by the Ports and Fisheries minister, Rane’s office said.