Sanjana Khandare
- With projects like the bullet train, expressway, Vadhvan port, and now the vision of a “Fourth Mumbai,” development is accelerating, but it is also creating several fundamental challenges. BaiManus has launched a special series on this issue.
- In the previous four parts of “Dhumast Palghar,” we examined different dimensions of development. However, this fifth part is not just about individual projects, but about their combined impact.
- This report reviews how these developments are affecting the environment, climate, health, water, livelihoods, and the very existence of local communities.
The Maharashtra state government has set its sights on developing a Fourth Mumbai, and Palghar district has been chosen for this purpose. Development in Palghar is moving rapidly, but at that speed, something is being left behind, and it is now becoming increasingly visible. Earlier parts of the series explored projects like the bullet train, express highway, and ports at Vadhvan and Murbe. Each project, on its own, appears large, impactful, and symbolic of progress. But when all these projects emerge simultaneously within the same region, their impacts multiply significantly.
Dust rising in Talasari’s hamlets, cracks appearing in homes in Dahanu, growing tensions along the Murbe coast, and fishermen in Vadhvan struggling to protect the sea, these are not isolated images, but signals of a larger transformation. This transformation is not only affecting land and livelihoods but is gradually altering Palghar’s climate. Trees are being cut, hills are being excavated, land is being reclaimed from the sea, and in the process, ecological balance is being disrupted.
Those whose lives depended on land and sea are now the first to face the impacts of changing climate. The question remains: Is nature being left behind in the race for development? And if so, who will bear the cost?
Bullet Train Project Changing Landscapes in the Name of Speed
The Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail is India’s first such project, aiming to cover nearly 500 km in just 2–3 hours. Built with Japanese collaboration, it involves massive financial investment and loans. A key stretch passes through Palghar district.
- Estimated cost: ₹1.08 lakh crore
- Route passes through villages in Dahanu and Talasari
- Includes elevated corridors and underground sections
- Land acquisition includes farmland, forest land, and residential areas
Environmental Impacts
- Large-scale deforestation reducing green cover
- Soil erosion due to changes in land structure
- Increased dust and noise pollution during construction
- Stress on groundwater and water sources
- Disruption of natural drainage systems
- Possible changes in local microclimate
- Reduction in cultivable land
Read the Part - 1:
Projects, Promises, and People: What Development Looks Like in Palghar…?
Mumbai–Vadodara Expressway
The Mumbai–Vadodara Expressway is an eight-lane, 379 km long greenfield highway, approximately 379 km in length, with an estimated cost of around ₹44,000 crore. This highway traverses several districts across Maharashtra and Gujarat. Within Palghar district, it primarily crosses over 70 villages in the talukas of Talasari, Dahanu, Palghar, Vasai, and Wada, including tribal hamlets like Kawada, Nimbavali, Dhanivari, and Ibhadpada.
Environmental Impact
- Excavation in forests and hilly areas
- Loss of biodiversity and wildlife habitats
- Disruption of wildlife migration routes
- Increase in air and noise pollution
- Alteration of natural water flows and flood risks
- Soil erosion and landslide risks
Read the Part - 2 :
Highways Built, Lives Broken: The Other Side of Development in Palghar
Murbe Port: Coastal Development or Rising Storm?
The Maharashtra Maritime Board has approved a proposal by JSW Infrastructure Ltd to build a commercial port near Murbe, Palghar. The project involves reclaiming 594 acres of shallow rocky seabed between Uchheli and Satpati creeks.
Approved in October 2023, this ₹4,259 crore project will have an annual capacity of 25 million tons. It aims to facilitate the import and export of coal, steel, cement, and fertilizers, benefiting industrial hubs in Tarapur, Vapi, and Valsad. A new commercial port is proposed near Murbe coast, close to Vadhvan port. Developed by JSW Infrastructure, it involves reclaiming 594 acres of shallow rocky seabed.
- Approved: October 31, 2023
- Capacity: 25 million tonnes annually
- Cost: ₹4,259 crore
Environmental Impact
- Water pollution from industrial waste
- Damage to coastal biodiversity
- Decline in fish stocks
- Increase in air, water, and soil pollution
- Pressure on natural resources due to population growth
- Waste management and water supply challenges
Read the Part - 3:
Port vs People : Why Murbe’s Fishing Communities Are Rising in Protest.
Vadhvan Port Initiative: A Monumental Oceanic Shift
The Vadhvan Port, claimed to be one of India's largest deep-sea ports, is a joint project between the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and the Maharashtra Maritime Board under the Sagarmala scheme. The port will be developed on approximately 1,448 hectares (3,575 acres) of artificial land created by reclaiming the sea. This project requires extensive use of coastal areas, traditional fishing routes, and village land. The administration asserts the port will boost the economy, increase international trade, and create employment.
Proposed as one of India’s largest deep-sea ports under the Sagarmala initiative, developed by JNPT and Maharashtra Maritime Board.
- Area: 1,448 hectares (~3,575 acres)
- Requires land reclamation from the sea
Environmental Impact
- Destruction of marine ecosystems
- Changes in ocean currents affecting fish breeding
- Threat to economically important species like ghol fish
- Increased coastal erosion
- Greater vulnerability to cyclones
- Risks from rising sea levels
- Loss of biodiversity, especially coral species
Read the Part - 4:
Vadhvan Port Controversy: Why Maharashtra’s 'Fourth Mumbai' Faces 30 Years of Resistance
The combined projects are expected to generate a massive investment of roughly ₹2.20 to ₹2.40 lakh crore in Palghar district, directly and indirectly. However, it is an equal reality that such a large economic turnover will be accompanied by equally massive environmental and social consequences.
Development Hits Fishermen, Tribes, and Farmers Hardest
Environmental activist Satyajit Chavan warns that development projects in Palghar are deeply impacting local social structures and traditional livelihoods. The region's population is largely divided into four groups: fishermen, Adivasi (tribal) communities, farmers, and industrial workers. Chavan states that those dependent on natural resources, fishermen, Adivasis, and farmers, are suffering the most from climate change and industrial pollution. The fishing community, in particular, is already facing a crisis due to dwindling fish stocks and coastal pollution directly affecting their income.
Satyajit Chavan warns that the Vadhvan Port's massive sea reclamation will disrupt ocean currents, harming fishing and coastal geography, while rising sea levels and floods pose a displacement risk to coastal villages. He mentioned that,
Due to the lack of strong political leadership in Palghar, administrative decisions often proceed without hindrance. Local movements also lack unity, which reduces their impact. Since the movements of farmers, fishermen, and Adivasis are fighting on different levels, a collective pressure is not created. The current path of development projects in Palghar can disrupt the environmental balance and be harmful to the local community in the long run.
Health and Water Crisis under the name of Development
- Air pollution causing respiratory diseases
- Skin and eye problems increasing
- Contaminated drinking water leading to stomach illnesses
- Groundwater depletion due to overuse
- Water diversion for large projects causing shortages
The Vadhvan Port project is likely to be the most comprehensive and directly impactful of all four projects, as it completely changes the coastal ecosystem, biodiversity, and the entire fishing economy. According to Bhushan Bhoir's analysis, the project will have the most severe impact on ocean currents, fish habitats, and the income of local fishermen.
Changing Marine Ecology
Bhushan Bhoir, a local expert in Palghar knowledgeable in fisheries and environmental issues, shared a deep and multi-dimensional analysis with ‘BaiManus’ regarding Vadhvan Port and other development projects in Palghar district. Bhushan Bhoir explains,
The Vadhvan area is part of a very unique coastal ecosystem where all three types of sea beds, rocky, sandy, and muddy, are found together. Due to this diversity, a large amount of biodiversity exists here. Especially, many species of coral are found here, including some reef-forming species. While a complete study of this ecosystem is yet to be done, there is a risk of this biodiversity being destroyed due to large-scale reclamation.
Bhoir further clarifies that,
Ocean currents, salinity, and the structure of the seabed are extremely important factors for fishing. The Vadhvan Port project will cause major changes in marine currents, which will directly affect fish habitats and breeding processes. Especially the ‘Ghol’ fish, which is economically very significant, is likely to have its specific near-shore depth and salt-fresh water mix required for breeding disturbed.
According to Bhoir,
The income of many local fishermen depends on Ghol fish fishing, which is in the millions annually. But if the availability of these fish decreases due to the port project, this entire economic base could collapse. Along with this, the compensation provided by the government is extremely inadequate and not consistent with the actual loss.
Regarding fishing methods, Bhoir says,
Mainly two types of fishing methods, ‘Dolnet’ (stake net) and ‘Drift net’, are used in this area. The port project will significantly reduce the fishing area, and disputes and conflicts over space among fishermen are likely to increase. Also, changes in currents will seriously affect ‘Drift net’ fishing. Speaking about long-term environmental impacts, Bhoir says that structures like breakwaters can increase coastal erosion. The impact of cyclones could become more intense. Also, the mining and cutting of hills required for the projects can lead to changes in local rainfall and wind directions. Dahanu Taluka, which is currently known as an environmentally sensitive area, could lose its natural identity due to large-scale urbanization. Villages included in the proposed Vadhvan development area will see massive construction, logistics parks, and population growth, leading to an increase in water, waste management, and social problems.
Regarding the future of local people, Bhoir clearly states,
In development projects, they are seen only as laborers. Their participation in high-level jobs is low. After land sales, many farmers become landless, and because traditional livelihoods are destroyed, they are left with no alternative means of employment. Due to this process, there is a risk of local people becoming outsiders in their own land. This can also have a serious impact on tribal and local culture, which could gradually disappear.
Local Change, Global Crisis - Growing Impact of Climate Change
- The environmental changes in Palghar are not just local but are linked to global climate change.
- According to the report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the intensity of rising temperatures, extreme rainfall, and cyclones is increasing.
- Observations by the India Meteorological Department indicate an increase in heavy rainfall events over short periods along the Konkan-Palghar coast.
- Cyclones in the Arabian Sea are reported to be becoming more frequent and intense.
- Studies by the Ministry of Earth Sciences show that rainfall irregularity is increasing in India, making the coastline more vulnerable.
- Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports for large projects mention the possibility of microclimate change.
- The possibility of strain on ocean currents and natural defense mechanisms has been expressed.
- Projects like Vadhvan are making local environmental changes part of the global climate crisis.
- These changes are not independent but are a component of the larger climate change process.
Palghar stands at a crossroads today. On one side, there is the shine of multi-crore investment, rapid infrastructural development, and progress, while on the other, there is environmental imbalance, displacement, health issues, and the fear of an uncertain future. The biggest question that remains in this entire process is, "This development is for whom, and at whose cost?" The resources, the land, the sea, and the forests, on which the livelihoods of the locals were based are now facing the greatest strain. At the same time, the local consequences linked to the global crisis of climate change are intensifying. Therefore, this is no longer a simple conflict between development versus environment, but a question of a just and sustainable development model.
If decisions are made at this stage without considering environmental balance, local participation, and long-term consequences, Palghar's development could become a story of crisis rather than progress. However, if transparency, accountability, and the rights of the locals are prioritized in this process, only then can this development truly become inclusive. The story of Palghar is not yet complete… it is still being written... The only question is, in which direction will the next pages turn?
(Sanjana Khandare is a mentee at the Climate Change Media Hub of the Asian College of Journalism. The program is supported by Interlink Academy, Germany.)
(This story is produced under Project Dharitri, a joint undertaking by Asar and Baimanus on Climate Change & Gender reporting.)
