The Maharashtra government has initiated a series of dialogues with the fishing community and locals in Dahanu, Palghar, and other areas where the ambitious Vadhavan Port, valued at ₹76,220 crore, is set to be developed. The port, approved by the union cabinet in June this year, will proceed without any obstacles, assured Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
“In the development of Vadhavan Port, the interests of the fishing community and locals will be prioritized,” Chief Minister Shinde emphasized. He directed the port development authorities to hold meetings, engage in dialogue, and coordinate to address the losses faced by the fishing industry and the demands of the local population.
Chief Minister Shinde underscored that from inception to completion, the interests of locals and the fishing community would be protected.
“Precautions will be taken to ensure that no one suffers any losses. Positive and practical solutions will be sought for every issue,” he said.
Shinde added that in the event of land acquisition for port development, compensation would be provided as per regulations.
He also called on the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) and the port department to engage with the fishing community to understand their concerns and address their doubts before commencing the project.
During a recent meeting, the Vadhavan Port Coordination Committee presented the demands of the fishing community from various villages, including Zai and Satpati. It was discussed that positive solutions would be sought through coordination meetings for all these demands.
The Project
The Vadhavan Port will be constructed by Vadhavan Port Project Limited (VPPL), a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) formed by the JNPA and the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB), with a shareholding of 74 per cent and 26 per cent respectively.
The port will be developed as an all-weather Greenfield deep draft major port in Vadhavan, Palghar District, Maharashtra.
The total project cost, including the land acquisition component, is Rs. 76,220 crore. This will encompass the development of core infrastructure, terminals, and other commercial infrastructure in public-private partnership (PPP) mode.
The cabinet has also approved the establishment of road connectivity between the port and national highways by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and rail linkage to the existing rail network and the upcoming Dedicated Rail Freight Corridor by the Ministry of Railways.
The port will comprise nine container terminals, each 1,000 meters long, four multipurpose berths including a coastal berth, four liquid cargo berths, a Ro-Ro berth, and a Coast Guard berth.
The project involves the reclamation of 1,448 hectares of area in the sea and the construction of a 10.14 km offshore breakwater and container/cargo storage areas.
Upon completion, the project will create a cumulative capacity of 298 million metric tons (MMT) per annum, including around 23.2 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalents) of container handling capacity.