Mumbai: As the saying goes: ‘Like father like son’. Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday issued orders for a temporary stay on the Rs 135 crore captive jetty project in coastal Ratnagiri district due to strong opposition from local villagers.
The jetty was proposed in 2015, and was to be developed by I Log Port Pvt Ltd, but work on the project could not commence as villagers were against it.
Incidentally, the jetty was planned 20km away from the now-stayed Rs 3 lakh crore refinery project at Nanar, and 5 km away from the Jaitapur nuclear power project.
Villagers had argued that the project location near Nate village in Ambolgad coastal area was covered under the Biodiversity Conservation Plan for Jaitapur Region with higher conservation priority index.
Aaditya's announcement of a stay comes ahead of a protest planned by the villagers at the tehsil office on February 6. He took the decision in Mumbai on Tuesday after meeting village representatives and a few leaders from the Shiv Sena. The villagers immediately called off the protest.
Mantralaya sources told FPJ that Aaditya assured the villagers that the final decision on the jetty would be taken only after seeking views of experts and conducting a detailed study. At the meeting held in Mumbai, he said he may visit the project site before the government takes a final decision.
Aaditya's father, CM Uddhav Thackeray, had stayed the Metro car shed project in Aarey Colony on environment grounds. Both father and son are in agreement that there should be sustainable development while taking all steps to conserve the environment.
The developer in the environment impact assessment report had said the proposed project location near Nate village was well suited for setting up the infrastructural facilities.
The port was meant to handle the entire captive requirement by direct berthing of handymax/panamax vessels. The site was situated in the vicinity of the bauxite mines.
