MUMBAI By Yogesh Naik | Jan 29, 2012, 02.24 AM IST
A cargo ship docked at the current make-shift terminal
next to the Naval Dockyard Indias first dedicated terminal for cruiseliners is all set to come up at Nhava hills, 60 km from Mumbai and next to Indias biggest container port at Nhava Sheva. The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) has accepted the state governments request to build the state-of-the-art terminal that can accommodate at least three large cruise ships at the scenic 10 sq km Nhava Hills, which will also house a plush five-star hotel and world-class Coast Guard berthing facilities. The JNPT, which was already looking to develop Nhava for the extension of its cargo port facilities, has started preparing a detailed project report for the proposed terminal. JNPTs deputy chairperson N N Kumar said, The new terminal will have a large five-starHOTEL IN its complex.
We are planning to start catamaran services to
immediately transport tourists at the terminal to the Gateway of India. The terminals proximity to the proposed Navi Mumbai International airport and Sewree-Nhava Transharbour link will make it one of best and busiest cruise terminals in the region. Maharashtra Maritime Board has also been asked to explore the possibility of a Marina with a capacity for about 100 boats at Cuffe Parade. The costing of both projects are yet to be worked out. Maximum outbound tourism in the country is from Mumbai and a dedicated cruise terminal will be beneficial to the travel industry. The proposed site is very far, but the upcoming transharbour link will provide quick connectivity. Moreover, the terminals location also means heavy tourist flow both to and from Pune, Goa and Bangalore, Jay Bhatia, chairman for the Travel Agents Association of India, said. In India, Kumar said, cruiseliners do have docking facilities at Mumbai and Kochi. But both terminals are make-shift and lack even the most elementary facilities such as proper toilets. At Mumbai, the passengers alight at an old building next to the Naval Dockyard, which is shabby at best. The Union government had approved developing the building into a dedicated cruise line terminal, but the Navy shot down the plan as it was coming in its operational area, an IAS officer said. In fact, another project of a marina at
Apollo Bunder by Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) ran aground
for the same reason. The crumbling port infrastructure and lack of space in the city prompted the state government to look outside the city and Nhava hills became a logical choice. A fortnight ago, Chief Secretary Ratnakar Gaikwad conducted a meeting of senior state bureaucrats and decided to request JNPT for a cruise terminal at Nhava. Till a decade ago, poor facilities and strict taxation regime was forcing cruiseliners to look to other South Asian countries, which cashed in on the opportunity. While the taxes have been eased a little, the facilities for passengers at MbPTs terminal next to the Naval Dockyard are abysmal. So now we will have to look outside the city, a senior official said.