The Bombay High Court has granted permission to fell 208 mangrove trees to facilitate the construction of an access road connecting the upcoming Vadhvan Port in Palghar district with National Highway-48.
The approval came after the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) sought the court's permission in compliance with the High Court's standing directions requiring judicial approval for the cutting of mangroves to ensure their protection.
The proposed access road will form part of an eight-lane controlled-access highway linking the ambitious Vadhvan Port project to NH-48. NHAI informed the court that it had already secured all necessary environmental, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), and forest clearances for the project.
The authority also stated that it had fulfilled the mandatory compensatory afforestation requirements and sought final approval to remove the 208 mangrove trees that were obstructing the project.
Vadhvan Port is being jointly developed by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) and the Maharashtra Maritime Board. Once completed, the port will feature nine container terminals, each measuring 1,000 metres in length, four multipurpose berths, four liquid cargo berths, one roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) berth, and a dedicated berth for the Indian Coast Guard.
The project is considered one of India's most significant port infrastructure initiatives and is expected to substantially enhance the country's maritime trade and logistics capacity.
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