The mother of ports fights hard to come out of troubled waters
MUMBAI : The proposed Vadhavan Port in Maharashtra, projected to be three times larger than Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT). Once completed, it is projected to be three times bigger than the Jawaharlal Nehru Port. Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis says the Vadhavan Port will make the country a maritime force. But as you enter the Vadhav village near Dahanu town, the reality hits hard.
Villagers are hostile towards any visitors, even journalists. Krishna, a villager, says that the main worry is the loss of fisheries’ income after the project takes off. “We also want development but not at our own cost,” he says. In fact, the conflict has been going on for several decades, with residents expressing fears that it will negatively impact the marine ecosystem and their traditional fishing practices. These concerns have led to widespread demonstrations, including boycotts of elections and road blockades.
The process of starting the project itself has already taken almost a decade. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the port was signed between the Maritime Board and JNPT in 2015, the ‘in principle’ approval came in 2020 and the proposal to build the port was approved in 2024.
A government official who did not wish to be quoted said that the villagers need not worry as the port will be built on the sea, that is, it will be the country’s first offshore port as it will be built on an artificial island. He believes that most of the villagers’ fears have been allayed. He also added that villagers will get first right in the job opportunities in the new port and they will be trained properly to help them take up the opportunities. The port is expected to create 1.2 million job opportunities. “We also gave employment to villagers when JNPT port was built. We understand their position,” he said.
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) holds a 74% stake in the Vadhavan Port through a special purpose vehicle and Maharashtra Maritime Board holds 26%. An email sent to JNPT did not elicit any response on the subject.
The scale is humongous. And there is considerable truth in the assertions of the central and state government that the port will rewrite the shipping scenario in the country. To be built at a cost of Rs 76,220 crore, it is designed to handle 23.2 million TEUs annually and a cumulative cargo capacity of 298 million metric tonne (MMT) a year. In all, a total of nine container terminals with 18 berths will be developed, JNPT said in its presentation.
TEU is a standard measurement meaning 20-foot equivalent unit. Currently, JNPT is the largest container port in the country and handles over 10 million TEUs.
“It (Vadhavan) will have 20 metre draft so that biggest vessels can anchor there,” Fadnavis said, adding that they will complete one portion of the port in two years. An amount of `16,140 crore will be spent by the SPV to construct basic infrastructure like breakwaters, rail line/yard and road connectivity, power, waterline, and so on.
The official quoted earlier said the Vadhavan Port will be the 13th major port in the country and one of the top 10 ports in the world. “Majority of our Exim trade happens through maritime trade and demand for cargo movement is increasing every day. So this port will play a more role in this ,” he said.
The official said JNPT and Mumbai Port do not have capacities to handle the rising cargo demand and hence new port is a must.
However, the cost of Vadhavan Port has gone to 76,220 cr now – the rise of 15% due to the delays. According to the government, the port will be completely by 2030.
Situated just 12 km from the dedicated rail freight corridor and 22 km from the Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway, the port will connect seamlessly to industrial centres across Maharashtra, Gujarat and beyond, the executive said.
“This proximity will make efficient movement of goods, reduces logistics costs, and accelerates transit times, making it a competitive trade and transit hub,” said the official.
There are other grand plans well. The state government will build Mumbai’s third airport near the Vadhavan Port and has already appointed a consultant for the same. A station for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train will be located near the port.
All this, however, will remain on paper if enough care is not taken to allay the fears of the villagers. The good news for the small town in Maharashtra’s Palghar district is that the real estate prices near the project site has almost doubled in the past four years.
Source : Financial Express
