Vadhvan Port Development Set to Accelerate Following Bombay HC Approval.

The Bombay High Court has cleared a key hurdle for the accelerated execution of the Vadhvan Port Project in Maharashtra’s Palghar district by permitting the removal of mangrove patches located within the approach area of the project’s near-shore reclamation zone.

A division bench comprising Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande, in an order passed on Tuesday, observed that the project is of public importance and carries wider economic significance.

The court allowed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to fell 208 mangrove trees for the construction of an eight-lane access-controlled highway connecting the upcoming port with NH-48. The court noted that the project had obtained the required environmental, coastal regulation zone and forest clearances, along with compliance on compensatory afforestation obligations.

The High Court said the infrastructure project would provide critical connectivity to the proposed Vadhvan Port, which is being developed as a nationally significant project and could help India emerge among the world’s top 10 container port nations.

"In our view, the said project being of public utility, would provide connectivity to the Vadhvan Port which is being developed as a major port on landlord port development model, which would open an opportunity for India to make it into the countries with top 10 container ports in the world," the court said.

The approval was granted following a plea by NHAI seeking permission under an earlier High Court order in a long-pending mangrove protection public interest litigation, which requires prior court approval for the destruction of mangroves even for public infrastructure projects.

The court noted that NHAI had fulfilled compensatory afforestation requirements. The project authorities have undertaken plantation of 1.33 lakh mangroves across 30 hectares and deposited over ₹4.83 crore towards mangrove compensatory afforestation, in addition to other payments mandated under forest clearance conditions.

Following the court’s decision, Vadhvan Port Project Limited (VVPL) said that key pending issues affecting implementation have been resolved, allowing the project to progress at full pace.

VVPL Chairman and Managing Director Gaurav Dayal said the latest approvals, along with progress across infrastructure development and other workstreams, mark the beginning of a new phase for the project. He added that the momentum in approvals and stakeholder coordination has strengthened confidence in achieving the targeted commissioning timeline.

The greenfield, all-weather Vadhvan Port near Dahanu in Palghar district is being developed by a special purpose vehicle formed by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and Maharashtra Maritime Board.

The ₹76,220-crore project will feature nine container terminals, each measuring 1,000 metres in length, four multipurpose berths including a coastal berth, four liquid cargo berths, a Ro-Ro berth and a Coast Guard berth.

The project involves reclamation of 1,448 hectares of sea area, along with the construction of a 10.14-km offshore breakwater and container and cargo storage facilities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project on August 30, 2024.

Once operational, the port is expected to significantly enhance India’s maritime capacity and strengthen the country’s position in global container shipping.