Without the necessary permissions from the BMC, organisers could not arrange for viewing stands for the public or even the media; Tourism minister admits many things could be avoided
Tourism Minister Jairam Rawal unveils the NEXA P1 Powerboat trophy, a propellor from Indian Navy aircraft carrier INS Viraat. Pic/Suresh Karkera
Mumbai’s first ever powerboat race, NEXA P1 Powerboat, turned out to be a damp squib – at least for media persons who remained far from the action, watching the race unfold on a TV screen at a five-star hotel instead.
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Only a few journalists were allowed to watch the action live from the poolside of the five-star hotel where the organisers’ crew were recording the event. The only other option was to join the public thronging Marine Drive under the hot sun as the motorboats blurred past them.
The event has been in troubled waters ever since it was announced last month, as the organisers did not have all the necessary permissions from the BMC. Because of this, the organisers were not able to set up a viewing stand for the media either, as they had originally planned. There was no media boat or a specific zone even for photographers or TV crew who needed to shoot the action from close quarters.
Maharashtra tourism minister Jaykumar Rawal admitted that the conditions were not ideal. “It’s sad that we couldn’t help the organisers get the permissions to have a separate area designated for media or build proper places where spectators could enjoy the race. We will ensure that this doesn’t happen the next time around. We fell short somewhere and many things could have been avoided,” said Rawal about the race, adding, “Strict rules didn’t allow us to help much. Next time, we will try to get single-window permission for such international events.”
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