The construction of a floating jetty at the picturesque St. Mary’s Island, a popular tourism destination, about 6.5 km from the Malpe beach here has been delayed by at least nine months.
The palm-fringed island, declared a geological monument by the Geological Survey of India, is known for its unique basalt rock formations. Boats from the Malpe Tourist Jetty (behind Tebma Shipyard) ferry tourists from Malpe to the island.
But tourists heading to the island from the tourist jetty go close to the island in a big boat and are then shifted to a smaller boat in the sea. This boat then takes them closer to the island, where the passengers have to get down into the water and walk to the island.
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A floating jetty, when constructed, would put an end to the problem of shifting of tourists in the sea and them getting into the water. The boat service is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from September to May, barring those days when the sea is rough.
On an average, about 200 tourists visit the island on weekdays; this number goes up to 500 during weekends, and it further increases to 1,000 on weekends during summer and winter vacations.
The Department of Tourism had submitted a ₹3.75-crore proposal for the construction of a floating jetty and allied facilities at the island to the Union government under the ‘Swadesh Darshan’ scheme.
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Anita B.R., Assistant Director of Tourism, told The Hindu that the proposal had been held up owing to technical problems. These were being ironed out.
“We expect an approval in a month. A team of Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. is expected here soon to get some clarifications. We will also take Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) approval. If the proposal still fails under the Swadesh Darshan scheme, we will put in our efforts to get it approved from the State government,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ganesh Amin, boat operator, said that the floating jetty would be of great benefit to tourists, especially women, children and senior citizens. It would also save time taken to shift tourists from big to small boats, he said.