Panju island to become Maharashtra’s new holiday destination

Nestled between Naigaon and Bhayandar is an unexplored 600acre land which has caught the attention of the Central government Panju island on Vasai creek is among the 26 islands in Indiamdashthe only one in Maharashtramdashthat will be turned into tourist hotspots NITI Aayog the public policy thinktank of the Government of India has already been instructed to begin the process of planning its holistic developmentThe island has a population of 1500 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 islandA senior government officer in the Prime Ministerrsquos Office told midday that the Centre had constituted the Islands Development Agency IDA in June 2017 and ldquo26 were listed for the holistic developmentrdquo ldquoPanju is one among them The rest are located in Andaman amp Nicobar and Lakshadweeprdquo said Avinash Mishra advisor at NITI AayogSince the LPG agency is in Naigaon people have to collect the cylinders from Naigaon jettyOver the last few months teams of architects engineers and tourism experts have been visiting Panju to prepare a master plan for the islandrsquos development said BhoirAccording to Vinod Salve statistical assistant of Palghar districtrsquos Planning Committee the island will undergo complete transformation ldquoThe 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 ecofriendly bamboordquo said SalveAnother highlight he added will be the mangrove park which will not only protect the forest but also create awareness about conservationRevamping of jettiesThe development of the jetties has also been proposed in the master plan At present there are two jettiesmdashold village jetty and new pravasi jettymdashon 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 MTDCThe only school at Panju is in a dilapidated condition Locals feel the government should also improve education and health facilitiesldquoThis jetty terminal will have ticket counters security checks cloak rooms to keep heavy luggage toilets a waiting lounge and souvenir shopsrdquo the officer addedAll tourists will land on the pravasi jetty near the railway bridge to enter the island ldquoThere will be an information centre to guide visitorsrdquo he saidThere are also plans to build a large bamboo ground plusone structure which will be home to a museum aquarium amphitheater multicuisine restaurant and other tourist facilities like washroom waiting lounge etc ldquoIt will be known as the Panju Peninsula and will be spread across 1260 sqmrdquo said another officer from the planning commissionldquoThe intricate bamboo structure will be illuminated by LED and ecofriendly bulbs to make it attractive in the night It will also be visible from the trainrdquo 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 concertsA pollutionfree islandA detailed plan has also been proposed for solid waste management SWM to keep the island plastic and pollution free ldquoEach 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 locationsrdquo said an officer attached to the Collectorrsquos office in Palghar districtThe master plan for the project includes construction of a ground plusone bamboo structure which will be home to a museum aquarium amphitheatre multicuisine restaurant and other tourist facilitiesAn arrangement for night camping for families or groups will also be made on the island where visitors can enjoy campfire and barbequeThe 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 stateThe islanders are elated with the new development plan as they feel it will create job opportunities for them ldquoDespite being close to Mumbai and Thane this island is unexplored This place has rich historical valueWe all are very happy that the government has taken interest in this place It will finally create employment for the local communityrdquo said Prabhakar Moreshwar Bhoir 76 who was sarpanch of Panju Island for 37 years 19702007Prabhakarrsquos wife Chandrawati said ldquoThere were 21 freedom fighters on this island and they played a key role in Indiarsquos Independence struggle yet none of their children got a government job Everyone has been struggling to earn two square mealsrdquoRecalling the history of Panju island Prabhakar said ldquoThe 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 islandrdquoAshish Bhoir the sarpanch of Panju islandAnother local resident Praveen Mhatre said that the government should also focus on improving education and health facilities on the island ldquoThe school building is in a dilapidated condition The roof of the structure recently collapsedrdquo he saidWhile the island is equipped with electricity and water supply it has no proper hospital ldquoThe local residents have to rush to Vasai after taking a boat for any medical emergency as there is no facility for admitting patients hererdquo said Dr Sham Jungare who treats patients in the oneroom Primary Health CentreProposed planBeautification 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 talukaAdventure zone Adventure sports activities will be conducted in an adventure zone that will be spread across 14637 sqm The activities will include wall climbing net climbing confidence games long jump and pole climbing among othersMangrove park The park will have walking boards observation decks and bird watching balconies ldquoA mangrove interpretation centre will be created which will showcase pictures and objects giving information about mangroves and its flora and faunardquo said a forest official handling the mangrove cell in MaharashtraSelfie points Lifesize statues and sculptures made from bamboo wood carvings and mud will be installed at different places on the islandCycling 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 Ecofriendly golf carts will also be made available for the disabled and elderlyBoat tours Various boat rides will be conducted from the village jetty which will be operated by local villagers