Mbai Port proposal to reclaim sea at Jawahar Dweep hits snag

Mumbai Port Authority's plan to reclaim 4.14 hectares at Jawahar Dweep for crude storage faces setbacks due to incomplete proposal and MCZMA regulations.

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Port Authority’s (MbPA) decision to reclaim 4.14 hectares of sea at Jawahar Dweep (also known as Butcher Island) to build storage facilities for imported crude has hit a roadblock, with the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) stating that the proposal submitted by MbPA is incomplete and lacks details on the purpose of reclamation.

Mbai Port proposal to reclaim sea at Jawahar Dweep hits snag

In a meeting held on September 15, MbPA officials had said that the reclamation was meant to construct storage facilities for crude oil, and separate approval for setting up of tankage would be taken by HPCL.

In its response, MCZMA has declared that reclamation is a prohibited activity except for the activities permissible under the CRZ notification, 2019, and executed with prior permission from the competent authority. It has pointed out that MbPA needs to submit the detailed proposal with activities proposed in accordance with provisions of this notification. The proposal has thus been withdrawn, and a fresh one will be submitted.

MbPA is planning major reclamation of the sea at Jawahar Dweep. In the second phase, nine hectares are proposed to be reclaimed. MbPA officials have told the government that they will use the soil that was dug up in the construction of the Orange Gate-Marine Drive tunnel, which is part of the coastal road built by MMRDA.

Liquid petroleum and chemicals account for nearly 70% of MbPA’s cargo. The Authority has two tanks to store crude, and needs more facilities. At present, when oil is delivered by ship, it goes to the refineries in Mahul via pipelines. MbPA has argued that it can manage the turnaround time of ships better if it has storage facilities.

MbPA is over 150 years old. With Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority being set up in Nhava Sheva, a lot of container traffic shifted there. The Mumbai port now focuses on chemical and petroleum cargo. The petroleum is purified in refineries and sent to many parts of MMR and other areas.