MUMBAI, Jan. 20 -- Thousands of fisherfolk, farmers and residents of Vadhavan, Dahanu and neighbouring villages marched for four kilometres to the Palghar district collector's office on Monday morning to protest against the proposed Vadhavan Port project, which they say will destroy livelihoods, agriculture and the fragile coastal ecology of the Dahanu-Vadhavan region. The protest began around 10 am, with over 10,000 people walking from Palghar station to the collectorate, raising slogans against the port and demanding that the project be scrapped. Representatives of fishing unions, farmers' groups and local organisations later submitted a detailed letter outlining their objections and legal concerns to the district administration. Vadhavan Port, proposed to be built six and a half kilometres into the Arabian Sea off the Dahanu coast, involves sea reclamation of nearly 4,000 acres, a 10.5-km-long breakwater, and a restricted fishing zone, with no fishing activity allowed, extending up to 12 km. The Maharashtra government holds a 26% stake in the project while the central government holds the rest. Protesters pointed out that with at least 2,000 fishing boats operating in the region, the port would directly impact the rights and livelihoods of over 20,000 people. The area is known as part of a 'golden fishing belt' yielding lobsters, pomfret and other high-value fish. "This coast has a unique rocky seabed that acts as a breeding ground. Once reclamation and breakwaters come up, the sea current will change and fishing will collapse," said Narayan Patil, president of the Vadhavan Bandar Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti. Patil said that locals had been fighting the project since the 1990s. "Dahanu is a notified eco-sensitive zone, and the Dahanu Taluka Environment Protection Authority clearly states that no work can begin without its permission," he said. "Despite this, surveys started in 2017, and the detailed project report was never shared with us. They are destroying our livelihood and taking away our lands." Protestors said that around 571 hectares of land will be acquired for road and railway connectivity to the port, leading to the loss of agricultural land, forests and villages. Infrastructure projects, ports, textile parks and industrial corridors are also coming up in the region, compounding the pressure on land and livelihoods. Vaibhav Ashok Vaze, secretary of the Samiti, emphasised that the rehabilitation plans were deeply flawed. "There are no assured jobs, no clarity on resettlement, and even the proposed compensation of Rs.6 lakh per boat is meaningless," he said. "Fishing is not just an occupation; it is our life. Over 1,50,000 people are indirectly dependent on fishing points here." The letter submitted to the collector also flags legal issues, including violations of environmental safeguards and the public trust doctrine (which mandates that natural resources be protected and maintained by the government for public use) as well as the absence of a credible social impact assessment. The protesters warned that if the project was pushed ahead, they would intensify the agitation and pursue legal remedies. The renewed protest comes against the backdrop of the project's formal inauguration in 2024 by PM Narendra Modi, which was held amid strong opposition from local communities. The project is also currently undergoing a re-survey following directions from the Supreme Court, after petitioners challenged the original surveys and approvals, citing violations of environmental norms and inadequate assessment of social and livelihood impacts. The Palghar district collector office did not respond to calls or texts from HT....