Intl cruise terminal to be commissioned by July 2024

The Mumbai international cruise terminal coming up at the BPX-Indira Dock, with a capacity to handle 200 ships and 1 million passengers per annum, is expected to be commissioned by July 2024.

Of the total project cost of Rs 495 crore, the Mumbai Port Authority will put up Rs 303 crore while the remaining amount will be borne by private operators, informed Mumbai Port chairman Rajiv Jalota.

Jalota was addressing the media in Mumbai, on the occasion of the completion of seven years of Sagarmala – the Government of India’s flagship programme for port-led development of the nation.

The first-of-its-kind iconic sea cruise terminal in India, with a total construction area of 4.15 lakh sq ft, will have 22 elevators, 10 escalators and a multi-storied car parking for 300 cars. Two cruise ships will be able to berth at a time at the dock.

Jalota said that domestic and international cruising is expected to be the main activity at the Mumbai Port in the coming days. “The Mumbai Port Authority is laying a special focus on cruise tourism, passenger transportation and ship repair. A cruise conference is being planned to showcase India as a cruise destination, with an aim to establish ports like Mumbai, Goa, Kochi and some ports on the east coast as cruise hubs of the nation,” he said.

Kanhoji Angre lighthouse development

Speaking on the Kanhoji

Angre lighthouse development, Jalota said the Kanhoji Angre island is being developed under the Lighthouse Tourism scheme with the aim to enhance the scope of cruise tourism and attract international passengers. “The work order for the project has been issued and it should be completed by March 2023. Mumbai Port has done developmental works worth Rs 18 crore on the island, which attracts a lot of visitors,” said Jalota.

The island will have facilities for trekking, sit-outs, viewing galleries, interesting pergolas and resting benches, outdoor restaurants, performances and overnight camping, among other activities.

Mallet Bunder expansion

The chairperson said that the Mallet Bundar harbour normally handles more than 700 trawlers per day and around 900 trawlers on peak days. “This may soon increase to 1,300. We are planning to develop a fishing harbour to decrease the congestion under the Sagarmala

Project. We are planning to start this work in 2022 and aim to finish it in two years,” he said.

The project is fully funded by Sagarmala and the Fisheries Dept (Government of India), to cater to the increased demand from fishermen.

In addition to these, a third chemical berth is being constructed at Pirpau, funded by Sagarmala. The berth will result in capacity addition of 2 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA), handling chemicals including LPG.