Vadhvan port faces backlash over environmental and social impact

The greenfield Vadhvan port to be built along the coast in Palghar district will involve reclamation of 3,500 acres from the sea, with sand being extracted 50km from the adjacent coastline in Daman. For the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport, 2,867 acres was reclaimed.

Local activists, fishermen and marine ecology experts warned that accumulating sand dredged from the nearby coast would be both unscientific and detrimental to marine ecosystems.
“The cost of dredging 2,000 million cubic metres of sand from land is Rs 12,000 crore, which includes Rs 1,440 crore as royalty to the Centre. Procuring sand from the sea will save Rs 6,000 crore compared to sand and soft rock utilised from terrestrial sources. Beyond cost efficiency, maritime mining presents negligible environmental impact versus terrestrial mining. The environment ministry has sanctioned the initiative following an assessment from IIT-Madras,” stated a release by Vadhvan Port Project Ltd, tasked with setting up the port worth Rs 76,000 crore. The ministry of mines has designated 102.8sqm for dredging, it said.

However, activists warned that any sand dredging would adversely affect the marine ecosystem at both Palghar and Daman coastlines.

Marine biologist warned colossal damage to Daman’s ecology. They say that Just 1 cubic metre of sand can weigh between 1,420kg and 1,920 kg depending on the moisture content. The sheer volume of the sand will be 30,000 crore tonnes, and the area will nearly equal the size of Aarey Milk Colony. This can change water currents in the region.

Representatives from fishermen members across seven coastal districts of Maharashtra, said such sand mining decisions require public disclosure of comprehensive satellite coastal surveys. They say the land acquisition process lacks scientific rigour as people remain unaware of soil stratification along these shores. While Daman features marine sand dunes or hilly sand formations along the coast, Palghar has rocky terrain towards Vadhvan. Thus, utilising Daman sand for Vadhvan reclamation remains scientifically questionable despite financial benefits.

Theay also expressed concern that the project will displace over 20,800 fishermen families permanently with a modest one-time settlement of Rs 6 lakh. The port will significantly alter wave patterns and vessel traffic will contaminate the area with oil, highlighting those numerous fishermen from Gorai, Uttan, Vasai, Arnala, Satpati and Dahanu currently fish at Vadhvan.