The much-awaited satellite port at Wadhawan near Dahanu may soon see the light of the day, with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the upcoming Make in India week. The new port, which will cost around Rs10,000 crore, is expected to ease congestion at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port, which is close to Mumbai.
As per the plan, the Jawahar Lal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) will hold a 74 per cent stake in the proposed port project, while the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB), owned by the state government, will hold the rest. "Make in India is a first-of-its-kind event. Therefore, we are looking forward to sign several crucial MoUs here," said Vijay Satbir Singh, principal secretary, transport and ports.
"The proposed port will provide a draft of 14 meters, making operations for bigger ships easier. This will help the cargo transportation in a big way," Singh added.
Meanwhile, sources claimed that Vijaydurg in Ratanagiri district and Wadhawan in Palghar district were shortlisted for the new port. Draft at both places was 20m each, which would allow bigger ships to dock. "The Wadhawan site was finally chosen because of its connectivity with the Western Railway (WR) network, which is a double-line network, unlike the single-line Konkan Railway network," said the official.
The proposed port will have a capacity of 40-60 million tonnes. JNPT will build the port and invite private firms to operate it. Proximity to the upcoming dedicated freight corridor and Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor will ensure captive cargo for the port, Singh added.
Besides this, the government will also help two private parties sign an MoU during the Make in India week for handling of a terminal at Greenfield port in Jaigarh.
In 1998, the Maharashtra government had given a mandate to erstwhile Peninsular and Oriental Australia Ports Pvt. Ltd (now Dubai Ports World) to develop Wadhawan. The project did not take off due to protests over environmental norms, fishing dynamics and possible displacement of Mumbai's dock workers.
