The Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week approved the Rs 76,220 crore Vadhavan Port project in Maharashtra after months of deliberations. Around 130 kilometres north of Mumbai, this will be one of the world’s top 10 ports after completion.
So, what is the ‘X-factor’ about this port and how is it going to benefit India?
What do we know about the port?
As per Economic Times, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change gave the project the go-ahead in February this year. The public private partnership project is slated to be developed in two phases – the first ending in 2030 and the second ending in 2039.
The project, with its 20-metre depth, will create a cumulative capacity of 298 million metric tonnes (MMT) per annum. This includes around 23.2 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalents) of container handling capacity. This exceeds the capacity of any other Indian port.
Why Vadhavan?
The location has a natural draft of 20+ meters at a distance of 5 kilometers from the shore. Where there is a natural draft (depth), even the world’s biggest vessels (ships) and ultra-large next-gen container ships requiring 20m+ drafts, can berth, and the place requires less dredging.
This means less maintenance, less operational cost. It’s a very significant parameter for developing a new port. Since it’ll be only 130 km from Mumbai, it will also make things easier for Navi Mumbai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port which is currently chock-a-block.
Crucial To Global Trade
“The port will act as the main feeder port India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEEC) and propel cargo movement to Chabahar Port in Iran and to the International North South Transport Corridor as well,” Union Minister of Ports Sarbananda Sonowal said.
Due to its location on the west coast close to the international sea route, it can also be projected as a hub port in the Arabian Sea catering to the container traffic of the east coast of Africa, India’s west coast, and countries in the Persian Gulf.
The port will be able to take in container ships with a capacity to carry over 24,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). The Cabinet also approved establishing the road connectivity between the port and national highways by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, and rail linkage to the existing rail network and the upcoming Dedicated Rail Freight Corridor by the Ministry of Railways. This will need 571 hectares and cost around Rs 4,000 crore. The project will reportedly create employment opportunities for 12 lakh people.
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