Docks ke peeche kya hai?

Stretching from Colaba to Mahim and Sion Maharashtrarsquos smallest district Mumbai City sees over a crore people regularly travel in and out of it Naturally it may give you the impression that all its nooks and corners must be thoroughly exploredAfter all itrsquos one of the most densely populated cities in India with a population of over 21 crore including the suburbs But there is a part of Mumbai right in the heart of the island city that has not only shaped the cityrsquos identity but to a great extent even Indiarsquos yet remains hidden from the common peoplersquos eyes Established in 1873 this is the Mumbai Portmdash stretching across Mumbairsquos Eastern WaterfrontWith access only to authorised personnel such as port employees shipping companies and operations staff most people are familiar with the port only through films like Mukul Anandrsquos Agneepath 1990 and Hum 1991 or newer movies such as Milan Luthriarsquos Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai 2010 among othersThese films have depicted Mumbai Port as a hub of economic activity but also as a place where danger lurks at every stepmdashwith a thriving underbelly around the dockyard and cartels using the port as their base RD Tripathi executive director and CEO of the Mumbai Port Sustainability Foundation MPSF echoes this thought and emphasises that the ports are nothing like how they are shown in filmsWhile some of it may have been true in the past today Mumbai Port is one of the most highly secured places in the city So much so that we are writing about it as it is being opened to the general public for a week for the first timeThe Mumbai Port Authority MbPA in collaboration with The Heritage Project THP and the MPSF is offering a guided tour of the port Facilitated by experts from THP and port functionaries the guided tour will delve into the past present and future of the port along with anecdotes from Mumbairsquos maritime transformation over the centuries Radha Goenka founder of THP amp director of RPG Foundation says ldquoPeople will get to experience several fascinating stops and get a firsthand exposure to port operations and its functionalityrdquoThe initiative is purely a community outreach program Tripathi explains ldquoWe want to bring the outside community those who have not been to the port but are part of Mumbai and benefit from it to see what is happening here Honestly this port is one of the most important ones in the world as it is responsible for the trade landscape of IndiardquoVisitors will get to see how Mumbai has evolved from a small island village to its current form The port has played a crucial role in this transformation being particularly significant during events such as World War II Tripathi also says ldquoPeople will see various types of ships and understand different port operations We cannot promise but maybe a few lucky batches may see the arrival of some vessels or cruise ships alsordquoIn a bid to promote local tourism and offer a glimpse into the portrsquos heritage THP has kept some elements as a surprise for the visitors According to Goenka ldquoBy opening the port for public access for a week our organisation hopes to make people understand and appreciate the rich history and architecture of Mumbai Port which in turn fosters a sense of value and the drive to preserve itrdquoWhen Dec 14 Dec 20Duration 3 HoursBatch Size 90 participants per batchTimings Dec 14 and 153 batches 8 am 1130 am 3 pm Dec 16 to 20 2 batches 8 am 3 pmTo register bitly41A7VdH