Team explores options for water transport facilities

NAVI MUMBAI: A team of forest officials, employees of Maharashtra Maritime Board along with local MLA Manda Mhatre visited the sea front of Navi Mumbai on Friday to see the scope of improving water transport in the satellite city.

The team visited the creeks at Karave, Sarsole along Palm Beach Road and Vashi village. They examined the possibilities of developing infrastructure without affecting the mangroves and the aquatic life of creeks.

“City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) is already constricting a jetty at NRI area with a budget of Rs120 crore,” said Mhatre.

The Maharashtra Maritime Board has also decided to develop a jetty at Sarsole. “The city is in need of better infrastructure as the population is increasing. We tried to understand if more water transport facilities could be provided by developing similar infrastructure at other places,” she said.

Officials from other forest department said more such recces would be done. Makranda Ghodhe, associate conservator of Mumbai mangrove conservation unit, said, “We will see the maps of the boundaries of mangroves and related documents to ensure that the areas are developed without affecting the eco-system.”

“Permission of the forest department is a must to develop a jetty. Discussions will be held at different levels after two to three more visits,” he said.

BACHCHAN KUMAR MLA Manda Mhatre with officials of forest department and Maharashtra Maritime Board at Seawoods creek on Friday.