Agreeing with the terms provided by the government, 124 villagers have volunteered to hand over possession of their land parcels to the Palghar district administration in Maharashtra for the mega Vadhvan Port project.
Covering roughly 2.5 hectares, the land parcel in Varor village comprises 41 subdivisions. This corridor is highly strategic for the port's infrastructure and had previously been stalled due to complex survey disputes, the district administration said in a release.
District Collector Indu Rani Jakhar lauded the residents' proactive cooperation, stating that the milestone demonstrates a "landmark of trust" between the local community and the administration.
"The Palghar district administration sincerely appreciates the proactive cooperation and confidence shown by the residents of Varor village. It remains committed to ensuring timely and just resolution of all matters related to the project, while prioritising the welfare of the community," the release said.
Addressing the landowners' concerns, senior district officials visited the village and held direct, in-person consultations.
Expressing satisfaction with the administration's approach, an affected landowner noted, "We are extremely satisfied with the entire process. The officials took the time to genuinely listen to our concerns and addressed them in a transparent and fair manner, offering practical, workable solutions at every step." Rather than pursuing civil court proceedings, these 124 landowners chose to resolve the compensation matters directly with the administration. In a gesture of trust, they agreed to the government's terms and handed over possession of the land without seeking any advance compensation, it said.
The upcoming all-weather, greenfield port at Vadhvan near Dahanu town in Palghar district, located adjoining Mumbai, is being constructed by a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed by Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) and Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB).
The sprawling facility will comprise nine container terminals, each 1,000 metres long, four multipurpose berths, including the coastal berth, four liquid cargo berths, a Ro-Ro berth, and a Coast Guard berth.
This mega project involves the reclamation of a 1,448-hectare area in the sea and the construction of 10.14 km of offshore breakwater and container/cargo storage areas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Rs 76,220 crore port project on August 30, 2024. It is projected to be among the top 10 container ports in the world.
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