**Sindhu Sahyadri Foundation Challenges Environmental Report on Jindal Port Construction in Murbe Bay**
Mumbai: The Sindhu Sahyadri Foundation has raised serious concerns over the validity of the environmental report related to the construction of the Jindal port in the Murbe Bay area. Due to multiple errors found within the report, the foundation has demanded its immediate retraction.
At the same time, the residents of Morbe have strongly opposed the port project, warning that they will not allow the construction of what they describe as a detrimental port under any circumstances.
The proposed port is expected to have a significant impact on local biodiversity, threatening the livelihoods of farmers and landowners. There is considerable anxiety that the fishing industry could face severe devastation. Additionally, concerns have been raised that if the port’s capacity is fully utilized, nearby coastal towns including Alevadi, Navapur, Nandgaon, and Satpati could be at risk of flooding.
Just a few days ago, the inhabitants of Murbe began demonstrating against the Jindal port project to express their opposition.
**Key Grounds for Dispute**
Bhushan Bhoir, founder of the Sindhu Sahyadri Foundation, has pointed out numerous critical errors in the marine and coastal biodiversity report prepared by Thakur College. According to a report by Saamana, the environmental study contains significant misidentifications and misnamings of conch species. Additionally, various marine organisms found on the rocky shore and ocean floor have been inaccurately classified.
One notable mistake includes the incorrect identification of crab leg fragments found in seabed sediment as belonging to a separate species.
The foundation has condemned the entire report as poor quality and environmentally unsound, citing fundamental and scientifically indefensible errors.
**Report Submission and Official Representation**
Thakur College prepared the contested environmental impact report for the proposed port at Murbe and submitted it to the responsible company. This report was then forwarded to the Pollution Control Board.
In light of the inaccuracies, Bhushan Bhoir has formally requested the annulment of the report. He has also submitted a detailed representation to Palghar District Collector Dr. Indurani Jakhar, urging immediate action on the matter.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/palghar-locals-protest-against-jindal-port-at-murbe-bay-cite-scientific-errors-in-report