While it has been just over a month since the residents of Gorai were satisfied with the new and safer jetty, they have already begun to notice uneven patches due to chipped concrete on the surface of the Borivli RoRo jetty, which is the counterpart to the Gorai jetty.
Locals and tourists alike use the ferry services between Borivli and Gorai, making it a necessary and important mode of transport for the area. The ferry services let people get aboard with their two-wheelers and take them across the water to the other side. “Most locals who work in areas like BKC or Goregaon take their vehicles and go from Gorai, but the moment you get off the ferry and onto the jetty at Borivli, it becomes a task avoiding the uneven portions. The chips aren’t big enough to be called potholes, but neither are they ignorable,” said a local frequent user of the jetty requesting anonymity.
While the Gorai side of the jetty is still in good condition, the residents ask why Borivli is seeing such deterioration after being in perfect condition all this time. “Isn’t a proper concrete surface supposed to give us at least 25 months of good road before it starts deteriorating?” asked Rossi D’Sousa, a Gorai Gaothan Panchayat member.
D’Sousa, who uses the ferry daily, told mid-day, “It is very uncomfortable to drive on such roads. If all the other roads in the city are also made using this same concrete material, why is it that these jetties see deterioration faster than the rest of the roads? It makes sense if the part that sees water daily gets bad, but the areas which are dry have started to chip instead of the submerged areas.”
Another local, on the condition of anonymity, told mid-day, “If people slip and fall off of their bike on the normal roads of the city, they will only fall on the road, but if one slips on the jetty due to the uneven surface, there is a 50 per cent chance they will fall into the water, which is hazardous.” D’Sousa added to this point, saying, “The authorities can’t put up a guard rail on the sides of the jetty; the ferry doesn`t stop at one designated spot every time. It depends on the tide level. The only way to keep the jetty safe is by having the roads in as perfect a condition as possible.” He further said that the only thing the residents need is infrastructure that is maintained and looked after.
An official from the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) told mid-day, “It is common for these jetties to see wear and tear, especially post the Ganpati season as more people visit with idols to immerse. We do everything in our capacity to maintain the jetties properly, as a damaged jetty would be problematic for the functioning of the ferry services as well.”
