Citing a total lack of parking space around the already overburdened Gateway of India, the Mumbai traffic police have returned the application submitted by the private company constructing the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation’s (MTDC) ‘Floatel’ — an ambitious project for a floating hotel off the coast of Mumbai — and asked the company to come up with solutions for the parking problems that it would create around south Mumbai. The company, Chateau International Inc. Private Limited, had sought a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Traffic Police a month ago. The MTDC has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the company for the project. However, on Friday, the application was returned by BK Upadhyay, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) stating that the Floatel would increase the parking problems around Gateway of India. According to Upadhyay, there is no space around the Gateway of India even for the vehicles of guests of the five-star hotels there on weekends.”The Floatel would be in water and guests would have to park their vehicles on the shore. There are at least 300 vehicles expected to come every weekend because of the floating hotel. There is no space to accommodate these many vehicles,” said Upadhyay. Police personnel said on weekends, they have to ask the drivers of five-star hotels’ guests to park in the bylanes or drive in circles in the area till the guests exit the hotels, and that if the Floatel comes up, there would simply be too many vehicles to manage in south Mumbai. “We have sent the application back without giving the NOC and asked the company to come up with solutions for this problem. If this problem is solved by the company, we will give the NOC for the Floatel,” Upadhyay added. In December 1996, the Union Environment Ministry had given clearance to Chateau International Inc. Private Limited to construct the ‘Floatel’ off Cuffe Parade in Mumbai. The project is being promoted by Ireland-based Deltic Management Company and Chateau International. It is to be located on a 26 hectare site leased from the Bombay Port Trust and comprises a 30-storey hotel and a 29-storey business centre. The lower deck of the hotel will house helicopters, a parking lot for 2,000 cars and infrastructure for the hotel. The project is to be connected to Nariman Point and Cuffe Parade through two undersea tunnels, a ropeway and a collapsible bridge. The Bombay Environment Action Group (BEAG), a Mumbai-based environmental NGO, had fought the project tooth and nail when it was proposed. Apart from worsening the traffic congestion in south Mumbai, the floatel is also accused of threatening the livelihood of small fishermen in Mumbai. megha.sood@expressindia.com
