Panju island to become Maharashtra’s new holiday destination

The two jetties on the island will be developed as part of the project. Pics/Hanif Patel

Nestled between Naigaon and Bhayandar is an unexplored 600-acre land, which has caught the attention of the Central government. Panju island on Vasai creek is among the 26 islands in India - the only one in Maharashtra - that will be turned into tourist hotspots. NITI Aayog, the public policy think-tank of the Government of India, has already been instructed to begin the process of planning its holistic development.

The island has a population of 1,500 people, and is barely 10 km from Vasai city. It can be reached by ferry boats from Naigaon jetty in seven minutes, said Ashish Bhoir, the sarpanch of Panju island.

A senior government officer in the Prime Minister's Office told mid-day that the Centre had constituted the Islands Development Agency (IDA) in June 2017 and "26 were listed for the holistic development". "Panju is one among them. The rest are located in Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep," said Avinash Mishra, advisor at NITI Aayog.

Since the LPG agency is in Naigaon, people have to collect the cylinders from Naigaon jetty

Over the last few months, teams of architects, engineers and tourism experts have been visiting Panju to prepare a master plan for the island's development, said Bhoir.

According to Vinod Salve, statistical assistant of Palghar district's Planning Committee, the island will undergo complete transformation. "The master plan has been created to develop a tourism circuit, which can be integrated with island tourism. The USP of the island will be the Central Amenity Centre, which will be made in the shape of a fish and entirely out of eco-friendly bamboo," said Salve.

Another highlight, he added, will be the mangrove park, which will not only protect the forest, but also create awareness about conservation.

Revamping of jetties

The development of the jetties has also been proposed in the master plan. At present, there are two jetties - old village jetty and new pravasi jetty - on the island. The main jetty is near the village and the second one is near the railway bridge. Since the new jetty will be a welcome point for tourists, it will be designed in a way that it will immediately draw attention, said an officer from the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC).

The only school at Panju is in a dilapidated condition. Locals feel the government should also improve education and health facilities

"This jetty terminal will have ticket counters, security checks, cloak rooms to keep heavy luggage, toilets, a waiting lounge and souvenir shops," the officer added.

All tourists will land on the pravasi jetty near the railway bridge to enter the island. "There will be an information centre to guide visitors," he said.

There are also plans to build a large bamboo, ground plus-one structure, which will be home to a museum, aquarium, amphitheater, multi-cuisine restaurant and other tourist facilities, like washroom, waiting lounge, etc. "It will be known as the Panju Peninsula, and will be spread across 1,260 sqm," said another officer from the planning commission.

"The intricate bamboo structure will be illuminated by LED and eco-friendly bulbs to make it attractive in the night. It will also be visible from the train," said the officer, adding that the amphitheatre will accommodate around 200 people and will be utilised for various events like folk dance performances and music concerts.

A pollution-free island

A detailed plan has also been proposed for solid waste management (SWM) to keep the island plastic and pollution free. "Each process of SWM, including waste collection, segregation, storage, transportation, processing and final disposal will be strictly followed to keep the area clean. Plastic bottle crushers will also be installed at various locations," said an officer attached to the Collector's office in Palghar district.

The master plan for the project includes construction of a ground plus-one bamboo structure, which will be home to a museum, aquarium, amphitheatre, multi-cuisine restaurant and other tourist facilities

An arrangement for night camping for families or groups will also be made on the island, where visitors can enjoy campfire, and barbeque.

The investment for the holistic development of the island is currently pegged at Rs 80 crore, which will be funded through various schemes of government for tourism and rural development. Majority of the funds will be dispensed by the central government and partly by the state.

The islanders are elated with the new development plan, as they feel it will create job opportunities for them. "Despite being close to Mumbai and Thane, this island is unexplored. This place has rich historical value.

We all are very happy that the government has taken interest in this place. It will finally create employment for the local community," said Prabhakar Moreshwar Bhoir, 76, who was sarpanch of Panju Island for 37 years (1970-2007).

Prabhakar's wife Chandrawati said, "There were 21 freedom fighters on this island and they played a key role in India's Independence struggle, yet none of their children got a government job. Everyone has been struggling to earn two square meals."

Recalling the history of Panju island, Prabhakar said, "The legendary Maratha warrior Chimaji Appa strategically used Panju island to wrest control over Vasai Fort from the Portuguese rule. Chimaji Appa, the son of Balaji Bhat, the first Peshwa, used to carry out monetary transactions from the island. His troops stayed back on the island."

Ashish Bhoir, the sarpanch of Panju island

Another local resident Praveen Mhatre said that the government should also focus on improving education and health facilities on the island. "The school building is in a dilapidated condition. The roof of the structure recently collapsed," he said.

While the island is equipped with electricity and water supply, it has no proper hospital. "The local residents have to rush to Vasai after taking a boat for any medical emergency, as there is no facility for admitting patients here," said Dr Sham Jungare, who treats patients in the one-room Primary Health Centre.

Proposed plan

Beautification of lakes: The two lakes on the island, Gode talao and Khare talao, will be beautified. The water and laser show on the lakes will portray the rich history of Vasai taluka

Adventure zone: Adventure sports activities will be conducted in an adventure zone that will be spread across 14,637 sqm. The activities will include wall climbing, net climbing, confidence games, long jump and pole climbing among others

Mangrove park: The park will have walking boards, observation decks and bird watching balconies. "A mangrove interpretation centre will be created, which will showcase pictures and objects giving information about mangroves and its flora and fauna," said a forest official handling the mangrove cell in Maharashtra

Selfie points: Life-size statues and sculptures made from bamboo, wood carvings, and mud will be installed at different places on the island

Cycling and walking paths: Paths will be created all over the island, where visitors can hire a cycle and enjoy a leisure ride, or just go for a stroll. Eco-friendly golf carts will also be made available for the disabled and elderly

Boat tours: Various boat rides will be conducted from the village jetty, which will be operated by local villagers