Vadhavan Port Opponents Allege 'Hidden Land Acquisition' Under Highway Guise, Warn Of Intensified Stir In Palghar

Palghar, Maharashtra: A fresh controversy has erupted over the land acquisition rates announced by the district administration for the proposed Vadhavan Port project, particularly in the context of building new road and railway connectivity for the mega port.

The Vadhavan Port Virodhi Sangharsh Samittee has strongly condemned what it describes as an attempt to mislead the public by carrying out “hidden land acquisition” under the name of a National Highway. The committee has declared an aggressive stance against the project, alleging that the administration is using the highway label as a pretext to facilitate the port’s commercial infrastructure.

Highway for the Public or Corridor for the Port?

In an official press release, the committee stated that the proposed Vadhavan Green Highway is not being developed for the general public’s transportation needs, but rather as a dedicated route for transporting heavy containers from the port.

According to the committee, the highway is essentially a private commercial corridor designed to meet the business requirements of the port, rather than serving public interest.

“National highways are generally built for the convenience of citizens. However, the main purpose of this project is to ease port cargo movement, offering little direct benefit to local communities,” the statement said.

Misuse of Legal Process Alleged

The committee further alleged that the government is exploiting legal loopholes by carrying out land acquisition under the guise of a public welfare project.

It warned that the process could severely impact fertile agricultural and orchard land, potentially rendering thousands of farmers landless.

Threat to Environment and Agriculture

Raising environmental concerns, the committee cautioned that the proposed route could disturb the ecological balance of the Dahanu–Palghar region.

It argued that increased heavy transport activity in an otherwise peaceful and agriculture-dependent belt would lead to higher pollution levels, land degradation, and long-term social consequences.

Questions Over Transparency

Although the district administration has claimed transparency in the process, the committee accused authorities of deliberately concealing the port’s direct link to the project.

“The term ‘National Highway’ is being used as a mask to implement the port agenda,” the committee alleged.

Committee Issues Warning

The representatives Narayan Patil and Vaibhav Vazhe issued a strong warning, stating:

“This road is meant only for the port, and therefore we do not consider it a public project. Until the Vadhavan Port project is cancelled, our intense opposition to this hidden land acquisition will continue.”

No Official Response Yet

As of now, the district administration has not issued any official response to these allegations. Meanwhile, differences of opinion among locals continue to sharpen, and the committee indicated that the direction of future protests may become clearer in the coming days.

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