Vasai’s Panju Island residents finally get their own boat

The new boat. Residents claim women used to refuse proposals from the island after a boat capsized in 2016. Pics/Hanif Patel

After several attempts over the past couple of years to get a loan from the Palghar district zilla parishad (ZP) to buy a boat to ferry residents from Panju Island to Naigaon jetty, the gram panchayat finally bought one with Rs 25 lakh loan it recently got. Now, the gram panchayat will float a tender for a contract to run the boat. This move comes in view of the dangers private players' boats pose because of inferior quality.

Speaking to mid-day, sarpanch of Panju Island, Ashish Bhoir said, "Earlier, private players used to run the boat services, but now we have bought one with the loan we got from the ZP of Palghar district. It was inaugurated by MP Rajendra Gavit and Congress leader Vijay Patil."

When asked about the importance of boat services for the island, Bhoir said, "Almost all the private boats are decades old and there are chances of them capsizing. In 2016, a boat headed to the island from Naigaon jetty with a marriage party on board capsized killing two people and injuring several others. I had been trying for the last 10 years to get a loan from the ZP to buy the boat, and we finally got Rs 25 lakh for the same," Bhoir added.

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Local resident Pravin Mhatre told mid-day that after the 2016 incident, youths did not get marriage proposals from Mumbai. "After the incident in 2016, no family from Mumbai have been willing to marry their daughters in Panju," Mhatre said. However, the sarpanch's wife Priti Bhoir said, "I am from Dadar and got married to Ashish in March 2016, just a month after the boat capsized. My husband had not informed me about the incident fearing I may turn down the proposal. But I am happily married now." Priti, who works in a diamond-assorting factory in Lower Parel, avails the boat services everyday to reach Naigaon station.

The sarpanch of the island said that he had been trying for the last 10 years to get a loan from the zilla parishad to buy a boat. Pics/Hanif Patel

Bhoir told mid-day that he will float a tender soon to start the boat services. "The highest bidder will be given the contract to run the services. The monthly income from the services will be used for the island's upgradation. Earlier, the auctioning was done by the Maharashtra Maritime Board officials as the boats were given by
private players."

"The boat services will start at 6 am and be available till 10 pm. In case of emergencies, the boat can ferry passengers late in the night too," Bhoir added.

Ashish Bhoir, sarpanch, Panju Island

A total of 1,400 people reside in Panju Island and they have to avail the boat services daily to reach Naigaon jetty for work. Panju is among the 26 islands in India for which the NITI Ayog has been mandated to start the process of holistic development to turn them into tourist hotspots.

Bhoir said, "There is no pollution in Panju. We have piped water connection and electricity supply as well."

"Almost all the residents of Panju have been vaccinated against COVID-19," said Dr. Sham Jungare, in-charge of the island's primary health centre.

The school-going kids, too, take a boat to reach Naigaon. Bhoir said that the island has a Marathi-medium school upto Std VII and a private school upto Std X. "There is an urgent requirement for an English-medium school on the island so that the students can study here and save travel time," Bhoir added.

1,400
No. of people residing on Panju Island