The bench allowed the event and directed the petitioner to build the temporary jetty and a cabin, ensure that view of the beach is not blocked and the structure is dismantled within 48 hours.
Observing that Mumbaikars cannot be deprived of an International level power boating event for petty reasons raked up by the City Collector and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the Bombay High court on Wednesday allowed the building of a temporary jetty at Girgaon Chowpatty.
Procam International Private Limited has organized a three-day Power Boat, Indian Grand Prix of the seas event at Marine Drive, between March 3 and 5 and had approached the Court seeking permission to construct a temporary jetty and access road for three days at Girgaon Chowpatty.
A division bench of Justice V M kanade and Justice P R Bora came down heavily on the city collector and the BMC. It said, "The corporation is not concerned about unauthorised construction and bad roads but wants to obstruct a power boat event to be held in the seas."
As regards to the Collector denying permission and asking the organisers to approach the high court appointed committee, it said, "When the government is talking about globalisation then why hold up such an event. MTDC has proposed to develop tourism along the coast of Maharashtra, even the government of India has proposed to promote tourism. In such a scenario, the collector should have approached us and not halted the event. As it is the appointed committee, is only recommendatory in nature."
The court passed the remarks against the BMC after advocate Trupti Puranik for the corporation said that liberty be given to take action if there is any non-compliance of orders.
The bench allowed the event and directed the petitioner to build the temporary jetty and a cabin, ensure that view of the beach is not blocked and the structure is dismantled within 48 hours. It observed that "state should not look at the event from a narrow mind. But help in promoting tourism which will increase due to this International sports event."
Procam International under the aegis of Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) and P1 Global, will have seven teams (with two boats each) competing on a tailor-made 5.2 km course —
something that is being done for the first time.
The organizers had approached the High court appointed high power committee, early this month seeking permission to build a temporary jetty in the sea and access road, near the Parsi Gate at Chowpatty.
The High Power Committee had rejected its proposal twice and now the organizers have approached the high court, with a revised proposal and pray to direct the City collector and the court appointed committee to accept it.
The organizers had prayed that since the event is to be held this week and all the boats and other equipment required had already arrived, the permission for building the temporary jetty be granted to them. Moreover, Maharashtra Tourism Development Authority had also agreed for the event, thus the permission should not be denied. The organizers also said they would dismantle the jetty and the access road, a day after the event is concluded.
The unique feature of this newly launched series is that all the teams would have to compete in completely identical P1 Panther boats specially designed to be able to race in just six feet water and can reach a maximum speed of 120km/hr on water.
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