The Dahanu Taluka Environment Protection Authority (DTEPA) has granted permission for the construction of an all-season Vadhavan port, located in an environmentally fragile area of Dahanu taluka. The significant decision was made following a hearing held on July 31 where objections raised by the coastal community and locals were discussed. The port is a major project that has been on the cards of the central government, however there is stiff opposition from the coastal community and locals, who are concerned about the potential impact on biodiversity, mangroves, livelihoods, and pollution in the area.
The Dahanu Taluka had been declared as an Environmentally Fragile Zone in 1991 by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), following the commissioning of the Thermal Power Plant at Dahanu. The DTEPA was formed to prepare a development plan for Dahanu Taluka in 1997. Since then, various organisations had raised objections to the construction of the port citing the prohibition of land use change in ecologically sensitive areas.
On June 5, 2015, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and Maharashtra Maritime Board signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the development of Vadhavan Port. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) issued a notification on April 30, 2020, which mentioned the port in the non-industrial operation category. Following this, the Ministry of Environment and Forest & Climate Change (MoEF & CC) issued a notification stating that the activity of the port does not fall under the red category. These developments cleared the way for the construction of the Vadhavan port.
Following this, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) applied to DTEPA for permission to construct the port, which was granted with no objections. Despite objections raised by the parties opposing the Vadhavan port, the DTE[A unanimously approved the application and granted permission for the construction of the port, which is subject to clearances from other authorities such as MoEF & CC, Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC), and the report of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
The order also establishes a Grievance Committee to hear the grievances of stakeholders. The JNPA, its agencies, and contractors are obligated to follow the directions and orders issued by DTEPA, and failure to do so may result in the stoppage of particular work until complaints are addressed. The point of changes in Terms of Reference (ToR) on June 2 were yet to be approved by the EAC and the DTEPA is instructed to wait for the report.
Vadhavan was declared as the thirteenth “major port” in India by the Central Government in February 2020. The DTEPA has made several recommendations for the construction of the port, including compensation for the fisher and coastal communities who will be affected by the port, giving preference to employment for the coastal community, not restricting the interconnectivity of coastal villages, and conducting continuous fisheries monitoring programs to study the impact of the port.