A sub-committee constituted by the Union Environment Ministry has flagged serious environmental concerns at the jetty facility of JSW Dharamtar Port in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, citing mangroves coated with coal and iron ore dust, wastewater discharge, and the risk of increased river turbidity due to cargo spillage.
The observations were made during a site visit to the port’s jetty at Dharamtar Creek in Dolvi village, which handles cargo for the nearby JSW Dolvi Steel Plant. The inspection comes just ahead of a recommendation by the ministry’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) to grant environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances for expanding the facility’s cargo handling capacity from 33.95 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 54.0 MTPA.
According to the committee’s report, while the creek hosts well-developed mangrove ecosystems, large stretches have been “completely covered” by coal and iron ore dust. Attempts to mitigate the impact through plantation barriers between the jetty and land area were found to be ineffective.
The panel also documented coal spillage during cargo transfer operations and the discharge of wastewater into mangrove zones. It identified the transfer of imported coal from the port to the adjacent steel plant as the primary source of the dust pollution.
“Such spillage has the potential to increase turbidity in the river water and may lead to the accumulation of coal particles in the riverbed,” the report noted, warning of long-term ecological consequences.
The Dharamtar Creek, formed by the Amba River, supports mangrove coverage of approximately 2.59 hectares, with variations across locations. The sub-committee highlighted that the northern mangrove belt—relatively undisturbed and well-developed—could face additional stress due to increased cargo volumes, even though the proposed expansion focuses on mechanisation.
Despite these concerns, the report acknowledged ongoing restoration efforts by JSW Foundation, which has planted around 2.5 million mangrove saplings since 2016, achieving an estimated 85% survival rate.
To address the issues, the panel has recommended several corrective measures, including installing at least 15-foot-high protective screens to shield mangroves from dust and developing a dedicated conservation plan for the northern mangrove areas.
JSW Dharamtar Port Private Limited (JSWDPPL) has acknowledged the findings and agreed to implement the recommended measures, as per the minutes of the EAC meeting held last month.
