Port Trust area redevelopment hits protest wall

Heritage conservationists and activists are once again up in arms against the Mumbai Port Trust for filling the historic Princes and Victoria docks.

Heritage conservationists and activists are once again up in arms against the Mumbai Port Trust for filling the historic Princes and Victoria docks. Opposing redevelopment of the Port Trust area,which will include flattening of the two docks,activists demanded that the project should be halted.

Activists have raised objections over the way the redevelopment is being carried out. They claim that the redevelopment works will severely affect marine environment. We need to save these docks from being filled. Moreover,the filling work has been started before completing the dredging of the channel near Dharamtar creek. If the required depth of dredging is not achieved,there will be problem with the backlog of water once the dock area is filled, said Major General S Dutta,an activist who is opposing the redevelopment work.

He also claimed that dredging near Dharamtar creek for filling of the dock will affect new Mandwa jetty. NOC of Maharashtra Maritime Board (MB) for the dredging has not been obtained, he said.

Dutta and other activists have now asked newly elected South Mumbai MP Milind Deora to intervene and save the docks. In a letter written to Deora,they said,Merry weather dry dock (a part of the Princes dock) is a very vital repair facility for coastal shipping around Mumbai. Presently,25 or more vessels are in queue for utilising this facility. There will be no alternate dry dock facility when this is filled.

When contacted,Deora said that he is for the development of port trust land and is in co-ordination with the state government to plan infrastructure.

NGO CitiSpace and Mumbai First along with other heritage activists will hold a meeting on Monday to discuss the issue. They have vested interest in the port trust land and are therefore opposing it. The re-development is must and expansion of the port is much needed, said Prakash Binsale,trustee of Mumbai Port Trust.

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Port Trust area redevelopment hits protest wall

Heritage conservationists and activists are once again up in arms against the Mumbai Port Trust for filling the historic Princes and Victoria docks.

Heritage conservationists and activists are once again up in arms against the Mumbai Port Trust for filling the historic Princes and Victoria docks.