Mumbaikars May Now Be Able To Camp Overnight On A Beach

by Sanjana Shenoy
Mumbaikars May Now Be Able To Camp Overnight On A Beach

Mumbaikars, a day out by the beach, feeling the soft sand on your feet and the sprinkle of clear blue waters on your skin, as you stand by the shore sipping nariyal pain, is definitely your ideal holiday. So here’s another beach day out plan that you might soon be able to add to your wishlist. Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) plans to organise overnight camps at Erangal beach in Malad. Tourists can also get sand bikes here at this overnight camp which shall boost tourism in the city. Maharashtra also plans to open Goa style beach shacks to boost tourism. Read on to know more.

MTDC To Develop Overnight Camps At Erangal Beach In Malad

As part of its initiative to boost tourism, MTDC plans to organise overnight camps at Malad’s Erangal beach. MTDC owns an 18-acre plot at Erangal beach. So it plans to develop this for tourism. Ashutosh Salil, managing director, MTDC, stated to the Hindustan Times “There are plans to have an option for citizens to explore the beach with overnight camps organised at the Erangal beach. Along with the overnight camp, we also plan to have scooters [sand bikes] for tourists.”

erangal beach
Picture used for reference

State Tourism Minister, Aaditya Thackeray visited Erangal beach last week. Officials from the tourism department and MTDC accompanied him. Later, Thackeray said to media houses, “The pristine place will soon have a space for Mumbaikars and tourists alike to enjoy eco-friendly outings.”

Also Read: Virtual Tour Of Mumbai

Erangal Beach Houses Sightseeing Spot Like The St Bonaventure Church

Erangal Beach, named after Erangal village houses mostly Koli, East Indian and Roman Catholic communities. It’s situated near Madh Island. Tourists can visit sightseeing spots like the 16th-century St Bonaventure Church, built by the Portuguese. The real estate area around Erangal beach shall witness a boom. BMC plans to build bridges here connecting Madh Island to Versova and Marve to Manori Island.

Also Read: Pithrody Beach In Karnataka Lies Between A River And A Sea

MTDC Also Plans To Develop A Resort At The Manori Beach

Ashutosh Salil revealed that MTDC hasn’t decided yet whether Erangal beach will undergo development in a public-private partnership model. He stated to media houses “If we are planning to have overnight camps, we will require other supporting infrastructure. This all will be planned on the plot owned by MTDC. Now, whether we give our plot on lease or we adopt a public-private partnership model for such facilities is something that we will have to study, and we will also be seeking permission from the state cabinet for the same.” MTDC also plans to develop a resort on a 25-acre plot on the other side of the coast at Manori beach.

erangal beach In 2018, Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) which owns Kanhoji Angre island initiated plans similar to those proposed for Erangal beach. These included a trekking pathway, camps and bio-toilets to boost tourism. But till date, the plans haven’t seen the light of day. The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) also planned to develop water tourism at Aksa Beach. However again it underwent shelving as the coastline was unsuitable for water sports. So, only time will tell how and when we’d experience overnight camps at Erangal beach. Till then, we can’t keep calm already! For now, check out these best beaches visited by Kamiya Jani and add them to your bucket list.