Overview

• A bench of Chief Justice B. R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran declined to interfere, terming the jetty a policy decision backed by statutory clearances.
• The project spans roughly 1.5 acres about 280 metres from the Gateway near Radio Club, costs about Rs 229 crore, and includes parking for 150 cars, VIP lounges, waiting areas, an amphitheatre, and a tennis‑racquet‑shaped jetty on stilts.
• The High Court limited the amphitheatre to passenger seating and restricted food outlets to water and packaged items, and it flagged the lack of an on‑site sewage treatment plant.
• The Maharashtra Maritime Board must phase out existing public jetties once the new facility is operational as directed by the Indian Navy, with current usage reported at around 35 lakh passengers annually.
• Petitioners had cited CRZ sensitivities, marine ecology and heritage concerns, while the state—represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta—said the terminal would decongest the area and cut travel times to Navi Mumbai, Mandwa/Alibaug and Elephanta.