Environmentalists have opposed the Centre’s in-principle clearance for the diversion of 237 hectares of forest land for the Vadhavan Port connectivity corridor, warning that the project could cause irreversible ecological damage in the ecologically sensitive Dahanu–Palghar region. According to a report by The Times of India, the clearance involves the felling of 38,905 trees, including nearly 1,600 mangroves.
Environmental groups have questioned the need to sacrifice forest cover for a transport corridor and argued that alternative alignments should have been examined more transparently. B N Kumar, Director of NatConnect Foundation described the project as a major threat to the region’s remaining greenery, while environmentalist Nandakumar Pawar called for a review of the clearance process and greater consultation with local stakeholders. Both warned that the destruction of forest habitat could intensify human–wildlife conflict.
The proposed project is an eight-lane highway and railway corridor intended to connect the upcoming Vadhavan Port in Palghar district with JNPA. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued a Letter of Award for the construction of the first part, a four-lane expressway, to J Kumar Infraprojects Limited and Shinde Developers Pvt Ltd, for ₹2,360 crore. The four-lane corridor will be expandable to eight lanes in future.
Government documents cited by The Times of India state that existing two-lane roads in the region pass through built-up areas and do not have the capacity to safely handle the heavy freight traffic expected from the port. The selected alignment, identified as Option-II, was reportedly chosen because it was assessed to have the minimum impact on mangroves and local settlements among the alternatives considered.
The project requires 606.63 hectares – 237.09 hectares of forest land (including 131.83 hectares of reserved forest, 82.24 hectares of protected forest) and 369.54 hectares of non-forest land. This includes 13.76 hectares of private forest land and 9.25 hectares of mangrove area.
The clearance reportedly includes conditions such as the construction of wildlife underpasses, fencing to guide animal movement, restrictions on dumping construction debris in forests and safeguards for the flow of the Surya river. JNPA has also deposited Rs 134.52 crore towards compensatory afforestation with CAMPA, Maharashtra.
According to the Hindustan Times report, the highway will pass through Dahanu and Palghar talukas. Last month, revenue authorities in Palghar cleared the acquisition of land for the highway. An estimated 573 houses and other structures will be affected in Aakegavhan, Aakoli, Chinchare, Ravte, Gargaon, Sumdi, Shigaon, Khutad, Rani Shigaon, Nanivali and Ambede villages in Palghar district. The state has reportedly set aside ₹197.07 crore as compensation.
In Dahanu taluka, 244.18 hectares of land belonging to 5,214 persons across villages such as Vangaon, Ghol, Kolhan, Tawar, Dhamante, Kolavali, Varor, Chinchni, Bawde and Tanashi will be acquired for the highway. A total 38 homes and other structures will be razed. Project affected persons (PAPs) will be paid around ₹37.93 crore as compensation.
The highway is part of the wider connectivity system being developed to support Vadhavan Port, a proposed deep-draft port in Palghar district with an estimated project cost of Rs 76,220 crore, which has been vehemently opposed by locals. On 23 March 2026, fishermen from Mumbai, Palghar, Thane and Raigad organised a massive protest against the Vadhvan Port and associated destructive projects.
Meanwhile, in June 2026, the Bombay High Court permitted the construction of an 8-lane road connecting the proposed Vadhavan Port to NH-48 by diversion of 9.25 hectares of mangroves forest area and by permitting felling of 208 mangrove trees. It noted that the said project would open an opportunity for India to make its way into the countries with top 10 container ports in the world.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
Forest and Non-Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Non-agri rural enterprise, Agricultural land, Other natural resource collection/dependence, Dwelling/habitation use
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
2360
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
2026
Has the Conflict Ended?
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Land Acquisition Laws, Environmental Law, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Environmental Law, Environmental Law
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
No
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Violation of environmental laws
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Disposed
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
No
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Bombay High Court
Case Number
Writ Petition No. 5513 of 2026
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
National Highway Authority of India
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
J Kumar Infraprojects Limited and Shinde Developers Pvt Ltd
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Shubham is a housing rights activist based in Mumbai. He has a post graduate from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai in urban policy and governance.
