Members of a fish merchants affiliation reveal in opposition to the eviction drive carried out at Sassoon Dock by the Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA), in Mumbai.
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Holding a chunk of Mumbai’s historical past, the Sassoon Dock, which serves as a distinguished fishing dock, is in the midst of an issue. Fishing merchants on the 150-year-old Sassoon Dock are making ready to go on a starvation strike from December because the Mumbai Port Belief (MPT) continues with eviction proceedings.
Inbuilt 1875, Sassoon Dock is among the oldest fishing docks in Western India and helps a inhabitants of 1 million folks. The dock is a vital a part of the fishing trade because it caters to the home and export provide from Maharashtra and consists of your complete provide from fishermen to the transport of fish and prawns.
Hub for seafood commerce, Sassoon Dock, which was bought by the British authorities, is managed by the Mumbai Port Belief. The dock is especially essential for town’s first fishermen — the Koli group. The dock homes 80 godowns which might be used to retailer, clear and pack fish and prawns. The MPT has evicted tenants during the last six months and is planning to lease the godowns to new occupants at revised charges.
“The tussle between the State and the Central authorities has impacted the livelihood of 10 lakh folks. It’s not simply the fishermen who will likely be impacted; your complete provide chain will likely be disrupted. We got written assurances by the federal government earlier; nevertheless, MPT personnel nonetheless sealed godown quantity 1773, which homes places of work, warehouses and is used for home and export provide. We’ve got no different choice than to protest and go on a starvation strike. We are going to go on a starvation strike from December,” stated Krishna Pawle, President of Sassoon Dock Fish Merchants Affiliation, to businessline.
The merchants’ affiliation states that 70 per cent of the godowns in Sassoon Dock have been evicted by the Mumbai Port Belief through the years, and the remaining godowns will likely be vacated quickly. The State authorities is seeking to modernise the fishing harbour and implement its long-term venture of a Marine Plaza within the close to time period.
One such eviction drive was taken on November 13, whereby the godown quantity 1773 was sealed by the MPT authorities. “I function a seafood cleansing, processing and exporting unit contained in the 1773 godown. My store was sealed final Thursday with none eviction discover. We’ve got proof that we continued to pay the lease to Maharashtra Fisheries Growth Company, because the MPT had given them the authority to lease the house. Nonetheless, all we acquired have been assurances from political management, however with no decision. Two of my contemporary seafood orders have been cancelled this week because the unit is sealed. We’re dropping enterprise each single day,” stated Irfan Khan, whose household has been doing enterprise from the Sassoon Docks since 1990.
The Sassoon Docks Fish Merchants Affiliation on Friday wrote to the Minister of Ports Growth of Maharashtra, Nitish Rane, to satisfy and handle their grievances and issues with the enterprise operations, that are impacting the livelihood of the group.
The affiliation is asking the federal government to supply alternate land for the merchants who have been evicted from the Sassoon Dock.
“We’re asking for is to implement what the then delivery minister Nitin Gadkari had assured us. When hawkers are rehabilitated by the municipal our bodies, why is an identical plan not applied for us? We’re pressured to do enterprise on the highway because the retailers are sealed. When the Supreme Courtroom verdict got here in 2014, and the land was requested to be vacated in six months, we have been promised alternate preparations at Jalna, however which was additionally not materialised. We’ve got nowhere to go and lakhs of livelihoods are going to be impacted,” added Krishna Pawle.
Printed on November 23, 2025
