Sail right in: Port opens doors to visitors

Mumbai owes its megacity status to its port; there's even a theory that its name draws from 'Bom Bahia' or 'beautiful bay'. Yet, this hallmark in the city's history has been out of bounds to its people. Security concerns and stringent regulations mean that all but a very few are barred. But the winds of change are blowing at last.

- Sabah Virani

MUMBAI:

From Saturday to Friday, The Heritage Project, in collaboration with the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT), will take around 1,500 people, in batches, on a tour of the port. Here, visitors will view the vast expanse where ships not only dock but undergo various phases of their lifecycle, getting a glimpse into an institution that has shaped the maritime and trade landscape of the city and the country, at large.

The first stop will be the dry docks. "This is where ships are built and repaired. Currently, three ships - a cruise ship and two coast guard ships are under maintenance," said R D Tripathi, CEO of Mumbai Port Sustainability Foundation (MPSF), the sustainability arm of the MbPT. Smaller ships continue to be built at the Mumbai port, and even some ship-breaking takes place here, although the Alang ship breaking yard in Gujarat is where most ships are dismantled, Tripathi said.