Palghar villagers stage protest against Vadhavan port

Friday’s protest was supported by the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and CPM. Devendra Tandel, a leader of the fishing community, said villagers have decided to take a more aggressive stand against the port

MUMBAI: Villagers staged an agitation in Varor in Palghar district on Friday, as part of a series of protests against the Vadhavan port being developed near Dahanu. The deep-sea port is being built as an artificial offshore island but tribals, farmers and the fishing community say it will destroy local marine biodiversity, traditional fishing livelihoods and coastal ecology.

Palghar villagers stage protest against Vadhavan port

Friday’s protest was supported by the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and CPM. Devendra Tandel, a leader of the fishing community, said villagers have decided to take a more aggressive stand against the port.

Maharashtra Congress president Harshavardhan Sapkal said the project is not in Maharashtra’s interests as it threatens the livelihoods of local residents, farmers and fishermen. He accused the central government of not being interested in developing Palghar but in “promoting an industrial house”, which is why the project is being implemented.

“The fight launched by local residents will not end until the destructive Vadhavan Port project is scrapped. The Congress party will stand firmly with the people and participate in the struggle with all its strength,” he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Ambadas Danve, former MLA Hitendra Thakur, former MLA Kapil Patil, Congress district president Satyam Thakur, state Congress general secretaries Brij Kishor Dutt, Manish Ganore and Dhananjay Shinde, along with representatives of various organisations and thousands of people, were present at Friday’s protest.

“If the struggle against Vadhavan succeeds, it will be a victory for all these movements. But unless the 56-inch figure in Delhi is removed, this port too will not go,” Sapkal said, in an oblique reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.