Vijaydurg's maritime legacy to be revived with Ro-Ro ferry service after 40 years

Sindhudurg: Passenger boat services are set to resume at the Vijaydurg port in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district after more than 40 years with the launch of a roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) ferry next week that will cut the travel time between Mumbai and Konkan to five and a half hours.

Officials said the Ro-Ro ferry, equipped to carry both passengers and vehicles, is expected to be launched in the first week of September.

The development comes as part of the Maharashtra government's ambitious plan for South Asia's fastest Ro-Ro service, connecting Mumbai with Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

Maharashtra Port Minister Nitesh Rane earlier this week announced that the service will begin on September 1 from Bhaucha Dhakka in Mumbai, with regular halts at Jaigad in Ratnagiri and Vijaydurg in Sindhudurg.

Vijaydurg is gearing up to become one of the key ports on the route.

There is a flurry of activity at the harbour, as workers rush to prepare the infrastructure. A floating jetty and pontoon have been put in place, while a tent is being erected to welcome passengers of the maiden voyage.

"This will be the first time that a passenger boat will directly berth at Vijaydurg. The service is scheduled to start in early September, though it will depend on the weather conditions," port inspector Umesh Mahadik told PTI.

The new service is being seen as a revival of Vijaydurg's maritime tradition, which came to a halt in 1983 after passenger vessels Konkan Shakti and Konkan Sevak ceased operations.

"Those three-storey vessels carried thousands between Mumbai and Vijaydurg, though they never docked at the port directly. The ships would anchor in the deep sea, and passengers were ferried to the shore in smaller boats," Mahadik recalled.

For the people of Vijaydurg, the resumption of passenger boat services at the once bustling port brings hope for a boost in tourism. Older residents recall when maritime travel connected the Konkan coast to Mumbai long before modern highways.

The Ro-Ro service is now expected to restore those links while adding the convenience of carrying vehicles along with passengers.

The historic port next to the imposing Vijaydurg Fort, once the naval headquarters of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, has borne witness to centuries of seafaring activity. Spices were exported from here during the British era, and coastal trade flourished until passenger services stopped.

"I have travelled through the Konkan Sevak in the past. It used to take 12 hours for the vessel to reach Vijaydurg from Mumbai. I have travelled several times by sea, as it was the only mode of transport then," said Akaram Tamhankar, a resident of Gadi Tamhane village, situated 30 km from Vijaydurg.

Tamhankar, who worked in Mumbai, would frequently visit his hometown.

Vijaydurg village sarpanch Riyaz Qazi pointed out that the ferry service will not only encourage tourism but would also help transport cargo such as mangoes during the season.

"It will be a nostalgic moment for many. Youngsters are eager to see the boat touch the port with passengers on board. They have never witnessed it during their lifetime," he said.

Qazi said the ferry service will not only positively impact Vijaydurg or Devgad, but it will also have far-reaching results on areas up to Vengurla and Sawantwadi.

Rajiv Vasant Parulekar, the founder of Vijaydurg Fort Utsav Samiti, said that the resumption of ferry service will help harness tourism potential in the area and encourage local economic activity around the port.

He, however, said that the government must consider slashing the ticket prices so that even the middle class can travel on the ferry.