Spread over 5,024 hectares in the Raigad district, the Dighi Port Industrial Area (DPIA) project has been given the green light by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

A Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) proposal has been recommended by MoEFCC's expert review committee for environmental permit for a coastal regulatory area, ports and national highways.

Earlier this year, the Dighi Port Authority had requested the center's permission to reclaim another 304 hectares of the adjacent Arabian Sea and Rajapuri Creek to expand its operations. On September 16, while recommending an environmental permit, the ministry also mandated the port's expansion proposal. An environmental impact assessment (EIA) will now be carried out and the nod can be given on the basis of the report.

The Rs 73.6 billion DPIA project is expected to be developed alongside the port expansion and will be a key hub of the proposed Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). According to the EIA report, at least 4,500 trees will be felled and 15 villages affected for the project. About 88 percent of the land purchase was completed in July.