High Court Allows Mangrove Cutting For Vadhavan Port
The Bombay High Court has approved the cutting of 208 mangrove trees for an access highway linked to the Vadhavan Port project in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, clearing a key hurdle for the infrastructure project.
Bombay High Court Allows Mangrove Cutting
A bench of the Bombay High Court permitted the National Highways Authority of India to remove 208 mangrove trees for the construction of an eight-lane access-controlled highway connecting the upcoming Vadhavan Port to National Highway 48.
The court said the project was of public importance and had wider economic significance. The approval was required because earlier directions in a long-running mangrove protection case mandate prior court permission before mangroves can be removed, even for public projects.
Vadhavan Port Highway Project Gets Clearance
The court noted that the project authorities had secured the necessary environmental, coastal regulation zone and forest clearances. It also recorded that compensatory afforestation requirements had been met.
As part of the clearance conditions, the project proponent has undertaken the plantation of 1.33 lakh mangroves on 30 hectares of land. More than Rs 4.83 crore has also been deposited towards mangrove compensatory afforestation and other required payments.
Palghar Port Project To Move Ahead
The Vadhavan Port project is being developed near Dahanu in Palghar district as a major all-weather greenfield port. It is being implemented through a special purpose vehicle formed by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and the Maharashtra Maritime Board.
The project includes nine container terminals, multipurpose berths, liquid cargo berths, a Ro-Ro berth and a Coast Guard berth. It also involves large-scale offshore reclamation, breakwater construction and cargo storage infrastructure.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Rs 76,220 crore project in August 2024. The port is projected to become one of the world’s top container ports once completed.
