Marinas - a must for Mumbai city

The word 'marina' may sound uncommon and unfamiliar to many of the landlubbers. To start with, a marina is a safe shelter provided for the parking of yachts (luxury boats) with necessary connectivity and logistics facilities. Simply put what a garage is to an automobile, a marina is to a yacht. Strange though it may seem but the number of yachts have mushroomed in Mumbai city off the Gateway of India over the years presenting a very ugly appearance to the shoreline of Mumbai.

Any foreign tourist on his first glimpse will think that this great city - a gateway to India, (incidentally, where the yachts of Mumbai have been moored) has not been planned and no provision for safe shelter for such luxury boats has been made though yachts is costing over a crore of rupees. The question arises then "What needs to be done?" The following suggestions merit consideration by the government.

It should issue a policy for setting up of marinas at suitable locations in and around Mumbai. There is the need for foreign expertise in selection and setting up of world- class marinas. At least two marinas need to be set up, one preferably near to the Gateway of India (western waterfront) and the other at Alibaug (eastern waterfront).
The setting up of marinas could be done through private public partnership by the process of tendering, ensuring transparency.

In the interim period, the government should permit setting up of floating pontoons by interested parties. This will ensure some sort of safety to yacht personnel which is not there for embarkation / disembarkation. The marinas shall generate considerable business by way of boat repairs, bunkering, cafeterias, antique shops, etc.

The increasing number of boat shows and international yacht shows in the country reveal that there is tremendous scope for coastal yachting, particularly for the state of Maharashtra (Sindhudurg district). According to a French delegate-visitor, the Konkan coastline is rich as it is studded with forts and other wonders as enumerated below:-

n Alibag and its fortified island
n Murud and its two fortified islands
n Srivardhna, its beach and city hidden in the estuary.
n Anjarle, its beach and estuary
n Dapoli, its anchorage and the island of Suvarndurga
n Kolthare, its beach and river
n Anjanwel, its mixture of villages and wilderness
n Jaigarth, its fort, its creeks and its estuary
n Ganapatipule, its beach
n Ratnagiri and the isthmus of Bhagwati
n Pawas bay and its beach
n Purangad, its temple in the middle of the estuary
n Vijaydurg, its fort and inland sea
n Devgad, its fort
n Malvan and the Sindhudurg fort

The state will have to do something to attract coastal yachting with international stop over at suitable
locations.

Conclusion
There is an urgent need to allocate a specific parking space with all logistic facilities such as road connectivity, bunkering, boat repairs, restaurants for the yachts which currently has a population of over 100. The intertidal area near the Radio Club, Apollo Bunder could be thought of as the Royal Yacht club is in close proximity. Yachting is romancing with the sea. So if that be so, please make it possible for everyone.