Vadhavan Port: now JNPA awaits cabinet clearance only

With the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) receiving the environmental clearance (EC) for the proposed port at Vadhavan in Dahanu taluka of Palghar district, the authorities were contemplating to perform bhoomipujan and begin the construction of the port. However, they are still waiting for the clearance from the union government for commencing the work which is unlikely before the general elections are over.

“We have received EC for Vadhavan Port. We are just waiting for the central cabinet to clear the project so that we can start the construction. But now with the announcement of general elections and model code of conduct in place, we are left with no option but to wait till the formation of the next government which will then clear the project,” a senior JNPA official said not wishing to be named.

“We have received minutes of the meeting held on February 6, 2024 that was attended by the officials from the ministry, the EAC members, officials from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) as well as JNPA. The meeting decided to give the EC for the mega port. Accordingly, we received the clearance on February 16, 2024,” the official said.

Earlier, the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) granted approval for the development of the port, a crucial milestone in maritime infrastructure development after the EAC conducted a hearing after the local residents, most of them belonging to the fishermen community, raised some concerns on the construction of the port.

JNPA had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth ₹20,000 crore with global logistics operator DP World for the development of the Vadhvan port. Vadhvan Port will be able to handle almost 24 million TEUs, making it among the top 10 in the world.

JNPA proposed to develop Vadhvan Port along with the participation of Government of Maharashtra and Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB). A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on June 5, 2015 to set up a major port to be notified under the Indian Ports Act, 1908 by the Government of India.