Palghar : Around 25,000 fishermen staged a massive morcha at the Palghar Collector’s office on Friday protesting the construction of Wadhwan port in Dahanu and the Rs 2,000-crore private port to be constructed by the Jindal Group at Nandgaon, Boisar.
According to the protesters, these projects will not only push them out of jobs but might also cause huge damage to the marine environment near the ports.
The unity was evident as fishermen from Mumbai, Bhayander, Vasai, Boisar and Dahanu came together to stage the massive protest. The sale of fish was also hit as all of them were preparing for the morcha from Wednesday to make it a huge success and most of them had missed their routine work.
Wadhwan port, proposed at Dahanu, was cancelled in 1997-98 as the villagers had then protested against it but was renewed under the new government.
This port, according to officials, is important keeping in view the decongestion of the currently overcrowded JNPT port and the Mazgaon port.
“We are opposing the 30-berth port and the Rs 2,000-crore port to be constructed by the Jindal Group in Boisar,” said Narayan Patil, chairman, Sarvodaya Fish Cooperative Society, who added that this massive movement would be further intensified under the banner Wadhwan Port Sangharsh Samiti.
“Once the ports come up, the small fishermen will be banned from fishing near the port area and chances are there that they might also collide with the huge trawlers. This might force us out of the fishing business resulting in unemployment and debts,” Patil said.
