Thousands March in Maharashtra’s Palghar, Protesting Vadhvan Port Project Over Livelihood and Environmental Concerns

Key Points

Thousands of residents from Maharashtra’s Palghar district marched on Monday, 19 January 2026, to oppose the proposed Vadhvan port and a cluster of large infrastructure projects planned along the coast, saying the developments would irreversibly damage the environment and dismantle local livelihoods. The protests culminated at the Palghar collector’s office after long marches from surrounding towns and villages, organized by fishermen, farmers, Adivasis and local women.

The demonstrations were led by the Vadhvan Bandar Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti (VBVSS) and supported by organisations including the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), Kashtakari Sanghatana, and tribal collectives and fisherfolk unions. Demonstrators reportedly marched 44 km and blockaded National Highway 48 to underline the depth of local opposition. Slogans demanding the permanent cancellation of the port echoed through the district, while leaders warned that further action, including blockades and a march to Mumbai, could follow if authorities failed to respond.

The port, spanning around 17,000 hectares and approved by the Union Cabinet in 2024 at an estimated cost of ₹76,220 crore, is proposed off the coast of Palghar and promoted as a future global shipping hub. According to official projections cited by organisers, it is designed to handle over 23 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit – a standard unit for measuring shipping cargo capacity) annually and forms part of the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor. Its natural depth of around 20 metres is presented as a key advantage, allowing large vessels to dock without extensive dredging.

Local communities, however, argue that the project’s footprint extends far beyond an offshore facility. Though the port itself is planned at sea, residents say extensive road and rail links to NH48 and to cities such as Nashik and Bhusawal will require large-scale land acquisition across villages. Protesters said surveys for these links have already been resisted in several areas. The broader development package also includes an offshore airport, a textile park at Kelve, a freight rail corridor, a new expressway and a proposed “fourth Mumbai city”, all of which have intensified fears of displacement.

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March Against the Vadhvan Port Project

Environmental concerns were central to the protests. Dahanu taluka, where the port is proposed, has long been designated an eco-sensitive zone. Protesters cited a 1998 order of the Dahanu Environment Protection Authority (DEPA), appointed by the Supreme Court, that rejected the siting of a port in the area, warning that such activity would be environmentally harmful. They also raised alarms about land reclamation plans requiring vast quantities of sand and stone, which they say would disrupt marine ecosystems and coastal fisheries.

Fisherfolk described the area as a source of “sea gold”, particularly the prized ghol fish, and warned that construction and increased shipping traffic could devastate fish breeding grounds. “The Vadhvan port needs to be stopped because it will destroy the livelihood of people in Palghar, especially fisherfolk,” said Ashok Dhawale, national president of the All India Kisan Sabha, addressing the crowd.

Memoranda submitted by the organisations to the collector argued that the project violated the right to livelihood under Article 21 of the Constitution and the Public Trust Doctrine, which holds that natural resources are a common resource held in trust by the state. Protesters also said that public hearings conducted as part of the social and environmental impact assessments in 2024 ignored widespread objections by locals and environmental bodies, and failed to present concrete rehabilitation plans for those who would be affected.

Forest rights emerged as another flashpoint. Palghar is an Adivasi-dominated district, and organisations such as the Kashtakari Sanghatana said thousands of claims under the Forest Rights Act remain unresolved even as new projects advance. Activists said pending appeals, including cases involving incorrect survey numbers, have left communities vulnerable to acquisition without recognition of their legal rights to land and resources.

Residents from Chinchani, Vasgaon and other coastal settlements spoke of homes occupied for generations and livelihoods built around fishing and small-scale farming. Some farmers said visits to large ports elsewhere had convinced them that displacement and loss of control over land were inevitable outcomes. Others rejected assurances of jobs, arguing that promised employment would be insecure and poorly paid, while traditional occupations would vanish.

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Protestors Rebuke Maharashtra Govt’s Stand on and Advancement of Vadhvan Project

Protest organisers also pushed back against welfare-centric narratives of development. Leaders said residents wanted secure land, work and environmental protection rather than cash schemes.

They criticised recent claims by Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis that local communities welcomed the projects, saying the scale of the march was intended to dispel that perception. “In light of the chief minister’s misleading statements that the people of Palghar are welcoming the projects, we decided to hold a morcha to show the strength of our displeasure,” said Devendra Tandel, president of the Akhil Maharashtra Machhimar Kruti Samiti.

With two petitions related to the Vadhvan port already before the Supreme Court, protesters questioned how preparatory work could proceed. Representatives of the VBVSS said advancing the project despite pending litigation amounted to contempt of court. They called on the state and Union governments to halt all activity until legal questions were resolved and local consent was meaningfully obtained.

“We are fighting for our existence and our rights over natural resources,” said Jyoti Meher of the Maharashtra Macchimar Kruti Samiti after demonstrators had submitted their demands. For many in Palghar, the protests marked not just opposition to a port, but a broader struggle over the future of a region balancing development with survival.

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