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Maharashtra Maritime Board turns to Norway for Nariman Point-Gorai creek ferry services

Conceptualised in the 90s, the plan has remained only on paper and has never been successfully executed despite several attempts.

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The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) has said that it will take help of Norway to execute the long-awaited water transport project between Nariman Point in south Mumbai and Gorai creek in the western suburbs via ferry services.

Conceptualised in the 90s, the plan has remained only on paper and has never been successfully executed despite several attempts.

The MMB has been citing choppy waters and strong winds in the western part of the sea as for the dealy. "Unlike the Gateway of India, the water between Nariman Point and Borivali is the open sea. We need vessels of that capacity. Even if we get a vessel that can ferry in the open sea, its cost will not be affordable," MMB officials had earlier said.

Vikram Kumar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), MMB said, "We are in talks with a company from Norway that will help us design vessels that can ferry passengers between Nariman Point and Gorai. Discussions on the cost are underway."

The designs will be made keeping in mind the affordability factor.

The state government had also received flak from the Central government over the issue in 2017 with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari saying that bureaucratic and administrative hurdles are the main reasons why passenger water transport is not a reality today despite being a cheaper and environmental friendly mode of transport.

The Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) has recently invited private operators to run catamaran between Gateway of India and Belapur along with between Domestic Cruise Terminal near Mazgaon and Belapur, Kanhoji Angre island etc for a period of 10 years.

Meanwhile, Shivnath Marwah, Mira Road resident said, "Water transport connectivity between western suburbs and south Mumbai is always welcome but firstly it's on paper since years, and also it has to be cheaper than say Uber or Ola ride. If it's costly than cabs, it won't find any taker."

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