'Why make Colaba jetty a monstrous commercial hub?'

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Wednesday upheld the Maharashtra government's proposal to construct a passenger jetty at Radio Club near the Gateway of India, dismissing three petitions filed by Colaba residents who had challenged the decision on various grounds, including the project's environmental impact.

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Shabnam Minwalla, author of Colaba: The Diamond at the Tip of Mumbai, was one of the petitioners who went to court against the jetty project. She spoke to Jyoti Punwani about why she has a sinking feeling about it.

What prompted you to file your petition?

As a resident of Colaba, I was very distraught to hear about the plans for this jetty. So, when protest meetings began, I attended all of them. I heard the speeches and agreed with what was being said. With such a massive coastline, it seemed strange to deface an area that is so meaningful not just to Colaba but to the entire city.

The Gateway of India is a treasure for all of us. We live in a city which moves so fast and changes so rapidly. Every time you drive through the old mill area, it's a feat of memory to remember which mill compound was where, which chawl stood where. It's really rattling. There's no attempt to mark the past at all. It’s just something we're so happy to forget and move on.

In a sense, this one area [where the jetty is being built] has been with the city for at least a hundred years. It’s been more or less intact, or has grown in a very sensitive fashion.