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.

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