22 September,2015 06:51 AM IST | | Ranjeet Jadhav
The special harbour will be developed, maintained and run for 35 years by a selected private player; the marina will help to service and park yachts
If all goes as per plans, the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) will develop a world-class marina (a specially designed harbour) at Mandwa near Alibaug, Raigad district.
The MMB already has plans to develop an inland passenger water transport (IPWT) terminal at Mandwa and it will cater to the government's ambitious water transport project off the east coast of Mumbai. The IPWT project terminal will be a high-tech facility, with all modern facilities for passengers.
MMB will appoint a private player for development of the marina at Mandwa. The main reason behind selecting Mandwa as the location is because developing a marina in Mumbai, according to officials, is not a good option. The water quality in Mumbai is not good and the sea is also rough.
Major plans
"A marina is a place where yachts are parked and get serviced. At present yachts and private boats are parked near the Gateway of India and we want to develop a proper marina at Mandwa where proper servicing can be done in such a manner that it does not have any negative impact on the environment.
We have invited tenders for the same and it will be the job of the private sector to develop, maintain and run the marina for a period of 35 years," said Asheesh Sharma, MMB director. The private player will decide the cost and charges for parking yachts at the marina that will come up at Mandwa.
According to officials, the tenders for the construction, maintenance and operation of the proposed marina have been invited, and many national and international companies have shown interest in the same.
In order to attract private players, the MMB in its tender document has said that a total area of 1,35,000 square metres will be provided to the developer for the development of the marina facility. Out of this area, 80,000 square metres will be taken up by the waterfront provided to the developer for parking of luxury yachts and boats.
The balance area of 55,000 square meters can be reclaimed by the developer and be used for any activity as permissible under the Coastal Regulation Zones by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). The location where the marina would come up is connected by the Mandwa-Alibag road.
Officials also told mid-day that the facilities at the marina include berthing facility, boat storage, boat launch facility, a boat fuelling dock, water treatment plant, waste oil recycling, boat repair facility, walkway bridge, dry storage facility, waste management and battery recharge facility.
