JNPA to develop stone quarry on 100 hectares of forest land for Vadhavan Port project

By Admin

25 Aug, 2025

The ambitious Vadhavan Port project in Palghar district has taken another step forward, but not without controversy. The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), in collaboration with the Maharashtra Maritime Board, plans to set up a stone quarry on 100 hectares of forest land to source construction material for the mega project.

Quarry for Port Construction

According to JNPA Chairperson Unmesh Wagh, the stones from the quarry will be used for constructing the port, offshore breakwaters, and other infrastructure. “We have been allowed to conduct necessary tests to check the quality of stones,” Wagh confirmed.

On Wednesday, the forest department issued a government resolution (GR) allowing JNPA to conduct a geo-technical survey across 295.23 hectares of dense forest in Khanivade and Gargaon villages. The survey includes digging 20 boreholes to assess stone quality. From this area, JNPA will identify 100 hectares for the quarry, depending on survey findings. Importantly, the GR stated that no trees will be felled and the legal status of the land will remain unchanged during testing.

Environmental Concerns

Despite assurances, the move has sparked sharp criticism from environmentalists and activists. Locals argue that the authorities did not disclose details about the quarry during public hearings for the Vadhavan Port.

Activist Bhushan Bhoir, associated with the Vadhavan Bandar Virodhi Yuva Sangharsh Samiti, which is leading protests against the port, said:

“The authorities never told us where the quarry would be located. Now, they have identified a densely forested belt with tribal hamlets. Setting up a stone quarry here will lead to immense ecological destruction.”

Bhoir also pointed out that no wildlife survey was conducted before granting permission. Similarly, environmentalist Rohit Joshi stressed that the quarry would worsen the ecological impact of the port and suggested sourcing stones from barren land instead of a forest.

Vadhavan Port: A Mega Infrastructure Project

The proposed Vadhavan Port is among India’s most ambitious port development plans. Around 1,448 hectares of land will be reclaimed from the sea to build the port, including a 10.14-km offshore breakwater and large-scale cargo storage areas.

Once completed, the port will have a container handling capacity of 23.2 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalents), making it one of the largest in the world. The first phase is expected to be ready by 2029.

The port will feature:

• Nine container terminals, each 1,000 metres long
  
  

• Four multipurpose berths, including a coastal berth
  
  

• Four liquid cargo berths
  
  

• One Ro-Ro berth and a Coast Guard berth
  
  

To boost connectivity, the port will be linked to:

• Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway via a 32-km road
  
  

• Mumbai-Vadodara highway via a 22-km road
  
  

• Delhi-Mumbai dedicated freight corridor via a 12-km railway line
  
  

Balancing Growth and Ecology

While the Vadhavan Port promises to strengthen India’s maritime trade capacity, the stone quarry plan has reignited debates over development versus ecology. With local communities and environmentalists raising concerns, the government faces the challenge of ensuring that infrastructure expansion does not come at the cost of irreversible ecological damage.

The coming months will be crucial in determining how authorities address these concerns, especially as the project moves closer to its ambitious 2029 deadline.