Bombay HC Clears Key Hurdle for Vadhvan Port Project
Court permits mangrove removal for highway link, paving way for faster execution of mega port
- Bombay High Court cleared removal of 208 mangrove trees for the Vadhvan Port access road.
- NHAI received approval to build an eight-lane highway connecting the port to NH-48.
- Court said the project serves larger public and economic interests.
- Vadhvan Port is expected to rank among the world’s top 10 container ports.
GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 26th June: The Bombay High Court has cleared a major hurdle for the Rs 76,220-crore Vadhvan Port Project by permitting the removal of mangrove patches required for constructing an access road to the upcoming mega port in Maharashtra’s Palghar district.
A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande allowed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to fell 208 mangrove trees for an eight-lane access-controlled highway connecting the port with National Highway-48.
The court observed that the project is of significant public utility and wider economic importance, noting that the proposed Vadhvan Port could help India emerge among the world’s top 10 container ports. It also said the project had obtained all required environmental, coastal regulation zone and forest clearances.
The High Court noted that NHAI had complied with compensatory afforestation requirements by undertaking the plantation of around 1.33 lakh mangroves over 30 hectares and depositing more than Rs 4.83 crore towards afforestation and related obligations.
The approval resolves a key pending issue in the project, which required prior court permission under existing directions governing mangrove protection in Maharashtra.
Vadhvan Port Project Limited (VVPL) welcomed the decision, saying it would accelerate implementation of the project. Chairman and Managing Director Gaurav Dayal said the latest clearances had strengthened confidence in timely completion and commissioning of the port.
The all-weather greenfield port at Vadhvan near Dahanu is being developed by a special purpose vehicle of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and the Maharashtra Maritime Board. The project includes nine container terminals, multiple cargo berths and large-scale marine reclamation works, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi having laid its foundation stone in August 2024.
