On Monday, the Centre gave the go-ahead for the construction of a 300-yacht marina on Mumbai Port Trust land at Princess Dock in South Mumbai. On Monday, the Centre gave the go-ahead for the construction of a 300-yacht marina on Mumbai Port Trust land at Princess Dock in South Mumbai.

India’s second marina project is all set to come up in Mumbai.

On Monday, the Centre gave the go-ahead for the construction of a 300-yacht marina on Mumbai Port Trust land at Princess Dock in South Mumbai. At present, the Kochi International Marina in Kerala is the only functional marina in the country.

Confirming that the Centre had approved the Mumbai marina plan, MbPT chairman Sanjay Bhatia said, “We will soon issue bids for the construction work. Besides promoting tourism, it will also give a boost to the local economy.”

The marina project is part of the makeover plan of the port trust. MbPT has been pushing the project from 2016 approaching various government agencies.

According to a senior MbPT officer, the agency will build ticket counters, lounge, lockers, restroom facility, wireless internet access, vehicle parking, besides boat launching and storage facilities. “There is an acute need for a marina in Mumbai. Many yachts visit the port but due to the unavailability of a designated marina, the leisure boats are forced to drop anchor near the Gateway of India.”

The project, expected to be completed by 2021, will come up on an eight-hectare plot. It is expected to cost Rs 350 crore. Incidentally, when the project was first conceived in 2016, its cost was estimated to be around Rs 230 crore.

MbPT has taken up a project to develop its properties along the eastern waterfront in the city. Apart from the marina project, there are plans to build an international cruise terminal and an equipment lab for shipping repair.

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