Mid-Day Impact: Maharashtra Maritime Board acts on Borivali-Gorai jetty complaints

The Borivali–Gorai jetty last week, where commuters faced safety lapses amid ongoing construction. Pic/Nimesh Dave (right) Space cleared at the jetty, with authorities addressing earlier concerns raised by commuters. Pic/By Special Arrangement

Safety lapses flagged by mid-day at the Borivali-Gorai jetty last week have now been addressed by the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB). With work on the jetty extension underway, locals had earlier pointed out several issues, including the absence of safety personnel for crowd control and restricted movement due to cranes and construction equipment. However, regular commuters say these concerns have now largely been resolved.

Commuters speak

Samuel D'Souza, commuter, said, "Over the past week, there has been a clear improvement. When I visited two-three days ago, safety in-charges were present and ensuring that trips were not overcrowded with passengers or vehicles. On Sunday morning, around 4-5 am, saw workers removing the crane."

Rossi D'Souza, a Gorai resident and member of the Gorai Gaothan Panchayat, said, "Since last Sunday, MMB authorities have made several changes. Safety in-charges are now present, the crane is being removed, and the jetty is no longer overcrowded with two-wheelers. The only thing pending is displaying contractor details, which is a procedural requirement."

He added, "The JCB could not be pulled out due to water pressure, so it had to be cut and removed." For several days, the submerged JCB had disrupted ferry docking during high tide. As it occupied part of the parking area, ferries had to halt further ahead, forcing passengers to disembark from a height, locals said.

Authority speaks

Earlier, an executive engineer from the MMB told mid-day that cranes used for installing girders for the new jetty are assembled and disassembled as needed to prevent obstruction. He also said the project is progressing as per schedule. However, when mid-day contacted the MMB again for a detailed timeline, there was no response till press time.