New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday laid the foundation stone of the mega Vadhvan Port project worth ₹76,000 crore and several other development projects in Maharashtra’s Palghar district.

Vadhvan Port that will be located near Dahanu town barely 150 km from Mumbai, will be one of the country’s biggest deep-water ports and will give a boost to the Centre’s port-led economy approach, that visualises making mega ports significant contributors to India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The state-of-the-art port that will be built in two phases will provide direct connectivity to international shipping routes, thus saving both transit time and costs.

The ambitious project of the Modi government, that is in line with its dream of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ will also play a major role in changing the economic landscape of Maharashtra by boosting the local economy as well as for India as it will create major employment opportunities.

Once completed, it is expected to generate up to 12 lakh jobs and nearly 1 crore indirect employment opportunities in the country.

Being created to facilitate seamless movement of cargo, the Vadhvan Port will handle 10 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit) in the first phase that is slated to be completed by 2029 and 23.2 million TEUs after the commissioning of its second phase in 2035, thus giving a boost to India’s cargo handling capacity and capability.

To be built as an all-weather greenfield deep-draft mega port, Vadhvan will be a vital link in the India-Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC) that comprises an Eastern Corridor linking Bharat to the Gulf and a Northern Corridor connecting the Gulf to Europe.

The IMEC will seamlessly blend road transport, rail and ship-rail transit, making the Vadhvan port the principal feeder port for the corridor as the mega port is just 12 km from the Vangaon Railway Station along the Mumbai-Surat Western Rail Link that will connect it to the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) line at New Palghar Station.

Also due to its location, it is well-connected by road, as it is just 33.4 km from NH 48 and 22 km from the Vadodara Expressway. This connectivity will ease cargo movement to the all-important Chabahar Port in Iran and the International North-South Transport Corridor and cut logistics costs and transit time in a major way. This in turn will give a fillip to the country’s trade efficiency.

In line with India’s commitment to preserving the environment while marching towards its dream of becoming a developed nation by 2047, the port has been designed to be eco-friendly.

Honouring India’s commitment to sustainable development, the Vadhvan port will be operated as a green port by using environment-friendly measures like electric Gantry cranes and hybrid internal transfer vehicles, to cut emissions.

The Vadhvan Port that has been designed to accommodate large container vessels and mammoth cargo ships will be one of the largest deep-water ports in India and will be the country’s 13th big port that will aid in establishing a world-class maritime gateway so vital for a nation’s growth.

Once completed, Vadhvan will be one of the top ten ports of the world and is expected to play a major role in India’s economic march by contributing to the GDP significantly.