Sonowal announces Environment Ministry approval for Vadhavan port, Cabinet approval imminent

The Environment Ministry has given the green light to the ₹76,000-crore Vadhavan deep sea port project near Mumbai. The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, stated that the project has received Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) approvals on February 15 and will soon be submitted for Cabinet approval. The approval was recommended by the Environment Ministry’s expert committee and will be decided by the Cabinet whether to approve the project in whole or in phases.

The Union Cabinet has already given “in-principle” approval for setting up the port near Dahanu in Palghar district of Maharashtra. The project details were revised after initial resistance from farmers, fishermen and locals, increasing the total cost to over ₹76,000 crore. The Deep-sea port, to be developed on the landlord model, will be a joint venture between the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) and the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB), with the former having a 74 percent stake and the latter with a 26 percent stake.

The Vadhavan Port Project Ltd, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) between the JNPA and MMB, will invest nearly Rs 37,000 crore in basic infrastructure, while private operators interested in the proposed deep-sea port will provide around Rs 38,000 crore. The port is planned to be built in phases and will handle 15 million TEU containers in the first phase and 23.2 million TEU after the commissioning of the second phase. The ministry also stated that they will assess the performance of Indian ports as per the ‘Sagar Ankalan’ guidelines and index, applicable to all Indian seaports to improve competitiveness, efficiency, and overall performance. Additionally, the minister has prepared guidelines and an action plan for the expeditious implementation of MoUs at the Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS) 2023 worth ₹1,000,000.

Source .