New Delhi – The Supreme Court of India recently told the government to think about getting experts to help protect the environment from possible damage caused by the Vadhavan port in Maharashtra. A group of judges, including Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, looked at a report about the port from the attorney general, R. Venkataramani. The report stated that no major construction work is happening right now.
The judges said, “The attorney general has shared a detailed report about the Vadhavan Port project. Currently, only land acquisition work is moving forward, and they expect to have the physical possession of the land by October 2025. Road construction is also set to begin in October 2025.”
They further explained that a survey for land reclamation (where land is added or reclaimed from the sea) is planned for July 2025, starting after the land for the shore area is acquired. The court emphasized that land acquisition would still need to follow any further decisions made in this case.
The issue will be discussed again on May 6. The court suggested that the government looks into having experts involved and allowed them to come to the court if they need guidance.
This discussion arose because the National Fishworkers Forum and Conservation Action Trust appealed against a previous decision by the Bombay High Court. They challenged a certificate that allowed construction for the new port at Vadhavan, which the Dahanu Taluka Environment Protection Authority had issued. This authority had given a “no objection certificate” to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority for developing this new greenfield port.
In June last year, the government approved the building of a ₹76,200 crore all-weather deep draft major port at Vadhavan. This project will be built by the Vadhavan Port Project Limited company, a partnership between the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and the Maharashtra Maritime Board, with shares of 74% and 26%, respectively.
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