MUMBAI: While there is no sign of the city’s iconic Taraporewala Aquarium being redeveloped anytime soon, an oceanarium is set to come up in Alibag, about 100 km away from Mumbai. Work is underway on the project, which is being executed by the Alibag Municipal Council, and likely to be completed by the middle of next year, after which it will open for the public. The oceanarium is expected to become a major attraction for tourists in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
Apart from the aquarium, the 4,369.05 square-metre Marine Drive plot on which it stands, has two other buildings—one that houses the office of the commissioner of fisheries and a structure that previously held a water filtration system and canteen. When contacted, minister for fisheries Nitesh Rane claimed that the process to redevelop the aquarium was almost finalised, and a consultant would be appointed by January 2027.
Confirming the development, Prashant Naik, president of the Alibag Municipal Council, said the ₹ 60-crore project, which received a grant under the government’s Special Grant Scheme for Unique and Special Projects in 2024, would comprise five zones and was designed to offer visitors “an engaging and immersive aquatic experience”. A senior IAS officer said that Alibag lacked tourist attractions apart from beaches and water sports. “The oceanarium will add to the town’s beauty, and even children from Mumbai can visit it since there is no sign of an aquarium taking shape in Mumbai,” he said.
