MUMBAI: Environment authorities have cleared the diversion of 237 hectares of forest land for a highway connecting the under-construction Vadhavan port to National Highway 48 (NH 48), in a move that will shrink green cover in the area and axe almost 30,000 trees.
The decision was taken in a meeting of the regional empowered committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change in Nagpur.
Vadhavan Port is being developed by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) and the Maharashtra Maritime Board in Palghar district. A flagship project of the BJP-led government, it will be India’s first offshore port and designed to handle ultra-large container vessels.
But the environmental costs are substantial. Minutes of the meeting held in March reveal that a proposal for an eight-lane highway to connect the port to NH 48 was submitted by the JNPA on February 24. The port will also link to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway (NE4), providing seamless port connectivity to various parts of the country.
The total area required for the proposed highway is 606.63 hectares – 237.09 hectares of forest land and 369.54 hectares of non-forest land. This includes 13.76 hectares of private forest land and 9.25 hectares of mangrove area.
Last month, revenue authorities in Palghar cleared the acquisition of land for the highway. A total of 611 homes will be demolished. The environmental toll is considerable: 72,790 trees, 21 ponds and 209 wells and borewells will be destroyed.
According to the minutes, the forest land diverted is home to 29,923 trees, largely deciduous and mangrove vegetation. Among the predominant species are teak, khair and shisham.
The nearest protected area is Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, whose eco-sensitive zone is just 37km form the project site. The fauna in the area includes mammals such as leopard, wild boar, bonnet macaque, striped hyena and jungle cat, in additional to several species of uncommon birds.
The state has proposed compensatory afforestation on 475 hectares of degraded forest land identified in 19 patches within Dhule division.
The highway will pass through Dahanu and Palghar talukas. In Palghar, villages such as Aakegavhan, Aakoli, Chinchare, Ravte, Gargaon, Sumdi, Shigaon, Khutad, Rani Shigaon, Nanivali and Ambede will be affected. The survey shows that 573 houses and other structures will be razed. The state has set aside ₹197.07 crore as compensation.
In Dahanu taluka, villages such as Vangaon, Ghol, Kolhan, Tawar, Dhamante, Kolavali, Varor, Chinchni, Bawde and Tanashi will be affected. Land belonging to 5,214 persons measuring 244.18 hectares will be acquired for the highway. A total 38 homes and other structures will be razed. Project affected persons (PAPs) will be paid around ₹37.93 crore as compensation.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued a Letter of Award for the construction of the first part, a four-lane expressway, to J Kumar Infraprojects Limited and Shinde Developers Pvt Ltd, for ₹2,360 crore. The four-lane corridor will be expandable to eight lanes in future.