Dahanu port: Activists hail NGT order staying MoEF office memo

Activists and outfits opposing a mega port coming up in Dahanu area of Palghar district on Saturday welcomed a National Green Tribunal decision staying an office memorandum of the Union Minister of Environment and Forests (MoEF) listing ports, harbours, jetties and dredging operations as non-industrial activities.

The NGT order earlier this week had said that the office memorandum, issued in June last year, needs to be reexamined and revisited by a panel consisting of at least five experts, including marine ecologists and biologists.

The tribunal was hearing a petition filed by the Fish Workers' Union, National Fishworkers Forum and others who had contended that Dahanu taluka was ecologically fragile, as stated by a government notification of June, 1991, and thus red categories of industries, including mega ports like the one coming up in Vadhavan in the area, were not permitted. The port at Vadhanan is to be set up at a cost of Rs 65,000 crore and was given in-principle approval by the Union government on February 5 last year.

Wadvan Bandar Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti office-bearer Narayan Patil welcomed the NGT order and said it was a victory of the fishermen and residents of the area, who have been opposing this mega port for several years now.

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