India’s proposed Rs 76,000-crore greenfield port at Vadhavan in Palghar, Maharashtra, will have 'requisite clearances' in place by mid-January, 2024. The Dahanu Taluka Environment Protection Authority (DTEPA) has granted a non-objection certificate (NOC). Subsequently, work will be underway next year.

However, public hearing will be held for dredging 2,000 million cubic mtrs. of sand off the Daman coast to be used for reclaiming the land for the port. Vadhavan port has a natural draft of 20 mtrs. depth at a distance of five km, and 3,600 acres of land will be reclaimed. The port will handle 15 million twenty equivalent unit (TEU) containers in the first phase and 23.2 million TEUs after the commissioning of its second phase.

The Ministry will invest close to Rs 38,000 crore towards setting up of basic infrastructure, while a similar amount will come from private operators interested in operating the proposed deep-draft port. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had granted ‘in-principle’ approval for setting up a major port at Vadhavan near Dahanu in Maharashtra under the Sagarmala Programme.

The project, earlier proposed at Rs 66,000 crore has seen a revision to Rs 76,000 crore considering the changes required to be made for obtaining environmental clearances. As many as 26 surveys and studies have been conducted through agencies regarding various environmental aspects and impacts of the port.

The port will be constructed as a joint venture (JV) in which Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) will have 74 percent stake and Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) at 26 percent.