PM Modi to lay foundation stone for Vadhavan port on Feb 19

He will also launch three new infrastructure projects by laying the foundation stones. These projects include the Vadhavan port in Palghar district, an underground tunnel through Sanjay Gandhi National Park to connect Borivali and Thane and another tunnel for Goregaon Mulund Link Road

Mumbai: After opening the Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Trans Harbour Link last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit the city again on February 19 to inaugurate a part of the coastal road and lay the foundation stone for the ambitious Vadhavan port in Palghar.

After the inauguration, Modi will ride through the lane and reach Azad Maidan where he will address a rally which will also be attended by chief minister Eknath Shinde and his two deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

Phase one of the coastal road is almost ready and the southward lane (from Breach Candy to Marine Drive) will be inaugurated by the PM. After the inauguration, Modi will ride through the lane and reach Azad Maidan where he will address a rally which will also be attended by chief minister Eknath Shinde and his two deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.

He will also launch three new infrastructure projects by laying the foundation stones. These projects include the Vadhavan port in Palghar district, an underground tunnel through Sanjay Gandhi National Park to connect Borivali and Thane and another tunnel for Goregaon Mulund Link Road (GMLR).

The Vadhavan port is a flagship project of the central government and will be the largest port in Maharashtra. The PMO has been pursuing it for months. It was cleared by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority and is awaiting one final clearance from the union ministry of environment and forests.

It is being developed jointly by Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and the Maharashtra Maritime Board. The Thane Borivali tunnel is being developed by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority. It will pass underneath Sanjay Gandhi National Park and 237 trees will be felled for the same.

The Mulund Goregaon link road is being built by the BMC and the bhoomi poojan was once done by Shiv Sena UBT Leader Aaditya Thackeray in April 2022. The BMC maintains that the PM will do bhoomi poojan of the Goregaon Mulund tunnel. The GMLR project was planned in the 1960s for east-west connectivity and was stopped by forest officers as it would cut through a forested patch. But now the alignment is changed and it will pass under Vehar Lake.

Since February 19 is a public holiday on account of Shiv Jayanti, the PM visit will not affect traffic in Mumbai, said state officials. The PM will also visit Pune and Satara.