Vadhavan Port Land Survey Begins Amid Local Opposition

The land acquisition process for the proposed Vadhavan Port near Dahanu in Maharashtra's Palghar district commenced on Monday, with teams from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Indian Railways, and district officials initiating a survey of the 574-hectare area. According to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) Chairman Unmesh Sharad Wagh, the survey will conclude on December 18, followed by land acquisition proceedings and compensation distribution. Envisioned as one of the world’s largest ports, the Vadhavan Port project is slated for completion in two phases, with the first by 2029 and the second by 2039. However, local residents and environmental groups have opposed the project since it was first proposed in 1997. Half of the 574-hectare land is forested, while the remainder is privately owned. NHAI has applied for forest clearance to construct an eight-lane access-controlled highway connecting to the port, which will require the removal of 10,179 trees. Notices have already been issued to private landowners and businesses. Once completed, the port will handle 23.2 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units), solidifying its status as a significant global cargo hub. The project is being undertaken by Vadhavan Port Project Limited, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) with a 74% stake held by JNPA and 26% by the Maharashtra Maritime Board. With an estimated cost of Rs 762.2 billion, Vadhavan Port will be India's 13th major port and Maharashtra's third. It will feature nine container terminals, four liquid cargo berths, four multipurpose berths, a Ro-Ro berth, and a coast guard berth, all to be developed under a public-private partnership model. Key connectivity components include a 32-km road link to the Mumbai-Vadodara Highway and a 12-km rail corridor tied to the Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway. The port’s offshore infrastructure spans 15,363.5 hectares of waterfront, 1,488 hectares of reclaimed intertidal zone, and a 63.5-hectare berth zone. Despite its ambitious scale and economic potential, the project faces significant resistance from environmentalists and local communities due to concerns over ecological and social impacts. (HT)