JNPA plans to acquire 100 hectares of Palghar forest for a stone quarry to supply construction material for the upcoming

JNPA Eyes 100 Hectares of Palghar Forest for Stone Quarry to Build Vadhavan Port

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), in collaboration with the Maharashtra Maritime Board, is moving forward with plans to secure roughly 100 hectares of forest land in Palghar district for the extraction of stone. This material will be used in the development of the Vadhavan deep-sea port, a massive greenfield maritime project aimed at transforming regional logistics and trade.

Background: Geo-Technical Survey Greenlit

On Wednesday, August 20, 2025, the Maharashtra Forest Department issued a Government Resolution (GR) authorizing JNPA to conduct a geo-technical survey spanning 295.23 hectares of dense forest in Khanivade and Gargaon villages of Palghar district.

The GR permits the drilling of 20 boreholes to assess stone quality but explicitly prohibits tree felling during this testing phase. Legal status of the forest land remains unchanged during the survey. Subject to the results, JNPA plans to designate 100 hectares within this site for quarry operations.

Why the Quarry? Stone for Port Construction

JNPA Chairperson Unmesh Wagh confirmed that stones extracted from this quarry will be used in constructing key port elements—including the offshore breakwater, port infrastructure, and support facilities.

Vadhavan Port is envisioned as one of India’s largest greenfield ports, entailing the reclamation of around 1,448 hectares from the sea, a 10.14 km offshore breakwater, and extensive cargo and container handling zones. The port is designed to manage approximately 23.2 million TEUs annually. Phase 1 is slated for completion by 2029, featuring nine container terminals (each 1,000 m long), four multipurpose berths, four liquid cargo berths, a Ro-Ro berth, and a Coast Guard berth. Connectivity includes a 32 km road to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, a 22 km road to the Mumbai-Vadodara highway, and a 12 km rail link to the Delhi-Mumbai Dedicated Freight Corridor.

Local Concerns and Environmental Opposition

Environmentalists and local activists have voiced strong objections to the quarry plan. Bhushan Bhoir, technical expert with the Vadhavan Bandar Virodhi Yuva Sangharsh Samiti, pointed out a lack of clarity during public hearings, saying, “When public hearings were conducted for the Vadhavan port, the authorities never told us where the quarry for the project would be located… they have identified a densely forested belt with tribal hamlets”.

Environmentalist Rohit Joshi criticized the move, questioning why stones couldn’t be sourced from non-forest areas.

Broader opposition stems from concerns over potential displacement, ecological damage, and threats to coastal livelihoods. In June 2025, villagers in Vadhavan and surrounding areas protested a drone-based technical survey, fearing loss of sea-based livelihoods. While authorities stated that the survey was halted due to bad weather—not protests—the demonstration highlighted deep local unease.

Project Progress and Infrastructure Developments

Despite local resistance, the project continues advancing. In June 2024, the Union Cabinet approved the Vadhavan Port project, allocating ₹76,220 crore for land acquisition and construction. The port’s foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 30, 2024.

A significant infrastructure boost came in August 2025, when the Maharashtra Cabinet approved a 105 km freight corridor linking the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway to Vadhavan Port. Funded via loans and provisions of about ₹4,029 crore, the corridor is expected to be completed in three years and will drastically cut transport time between Tawa-Bharveer and the port from 4–5 hours to just 1–1.5 hours.

The Way Forward: Balancing Development and Ecology

As JNPA prepares to move forward with the geo-technical survey and potential quarry selection, these steps bring the project closer to reality—but not without controversy. With Phase 1 slated for 2029, authorities must now weigh infrastructure needs against environmental and community impact.

Key issues to monitor include:

• Outcomes from the 20 borehole tests and how they inform quarry location.
• Whether compensatory environmental measures or alternative stone sources will be considered.
• Continued community engagement and redressal of tribal and fisherfolk concerns.

The Vadhavan port project—with its scale, ambition, and stakes—embodies a broader debate between maritime infrastructure growth and environmental justice. Its trajectory will signal how such balancing acts are managed in India’s coastal development agenda.

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