ગુજરાતી
Shell Energy India Pvt. Ltd. (Shell Energy India Pvt. Ltd.) conducted an environmental public hearing on 4 February 2025 for its proposed mega expansion project at Hazira (Surat). Objections and demands were made for the protection of health, employment and environment of the local people of Kantha area as well as surrounding villages.
Due to the presence of companies in Hazira area, pollution has increased in Hazira and surrounding villages due to which the health of the people has been harmed to some extent. Keeping this in mind, there is a demand to build a hospital in Hazira area under CSR initiative.
The Pagadia fishermen of the economically backward Hazira region used to earn their living by fishing in the sea, but due to pollution, the number of fish in the sea has become negligible and their livelihood has been damaged. For which our demand is that these turban fishermen should be given employment.
The presence of industrial companies in Hazira area has caused extensive damage to the coastal cher forest and the number of mangroves is decreasing day by day. So please provide information about how many mangroves the company has planted so far. Also our demand is that mangrove plantation should be done by the company on Hazira beach.
Some trees have been planted. According to the law, it is mandatory for the company to plant trees in 33 percent of the area. Which has not been done by the company. Which should be done and only then the environmental consent form should be issued.
Local people are hired on contract but are gradually eliminated. Local people have difficulty finding work. The company’s policy of firing local villagers is completely wrong. There is a demand that this policy be changed.
Contracts are mostly given to outsiders due to which local people do not get employment. Give work to local contractor company.
Due to the arrival of companies in Hazira area, the forests in our area have reduced.
The EIA report does not mention the damage caused to the local environment, fishermen and local people due to the company’s expansion. No information has been given regarding compensation for the loss. The matter should be verified by the Environment Ministry and Gujarat Pollution Control Board and only then the Environment Consent Form should be issued.
Due to industrialization in Hazira area, vehicular traffic has increased significantly and due to improper transportation of coal from the port, coal particles are found on the roads as well as on people’s homes. Vehicles are not covered properly. Air pollution is increasing. Our demand is that this matter should be resolved.
Our demand is that the Forest and Environment Ministry should consider our demand for the protection of the health and environment of the local people. This demand was made by Darshan Kumar A Nayak.
How is the pollution?
Shell Energy India Pvt. Ltd. The sanction for the project was Rs 21600 crore. The capacity of Hazira LNG terminal was planned to be increased from 6.28 million tonnes per annum (MMTPA) to 26.2 MMTPA.
Later it has been given Environment Clearance (EC) by the Committee of Union Ministry of Environment (MoEFCC) in September 2025.
This area of shale energy is close to reserved forest land and mangroves along the sea coast. Earlier this project was stuck in 2021 due to not getting forest clearance. People wanted to protect this sensitive environment.
Since Hazira is an area with heavy industrial pollution, there were fears that the new mega project would further deteriorate the local air and water quality.
The project plans to excavate 28 lakh cubic meters of soil or sand from the seabed to accommodate larger ships. Due to this process the sea water becomes stagnant, which causes great harm to the livelihood of local fishermen and marine ecosystem (fish etc.).
If there is any obstruction to the flow of tidal water, the mangroves are at risk of drying up in a short period of time.
The increased traffic of large LNG carriers (vessels) at the terminal poses a constant risk of oil or chemical spillage from the vessels and spillage into the sea.
LNG is considered a cleaner fuel than diesel or coal, but the regasification (conversion to gas) process uses large amounts of energy, which increases global warming.
The government has given approval only after public hearing and recommendations of the environment committee. In which the company has been given strict instructions under CSR to prevent marine pollution, install solid waste disposal system and carry out environmental improvement work in Hazira village.
cher tree
In the mangrove area near the project site, ‘trenching technique’ will be adopted to allow movement of sea water during high and low tides, so that there is no adverse impact on the mangroves. Apart from this, mangrove plantation program will also be conducted at suitable places to increase the number of mangrove plants in Hazira area. A progress report in this regard will be submitted to this ministry every six months.
Hazira has mangroves at the following locations: Junagam Cremation Ground, Junagam C Site, Rajgari Cremation Site, Rajgari Khada, Rajgari Khada New, Rajgari C Site, Vasava Site-1, Vasava Site-2, Tunda Dabhari, Tunda Mor Site-1, Tunda Mor Site-2, Karanj.
Ahmedabad is using remote sensing technology to monitor mangrove plantations by D.E. A program called ‘CompuSense Automation’ exists in
The company carries this out every year. A study report prepared in December 2024 is attached to this ECR (Environmental Compliance Report).
All conditions stipulated in the Gujarat Government’s Environment Department letter (No. ENV10.2003-55-P1, dated July 15, 2003) shall be effectively implemented.
The project shall be executed in such a manner that no harm is caused to mangroves or other sensitive coastal ecosystems.
Furthermore, no part of the project site shall fall within the CRZ-I(i) area. If project activities pose a risk of damage to mangroves, the existing approval shall be deemed cancelled, and the project proponents will be required to obtain fresh approval from the Ministry.
The conditions have been complied with.
The status of compliance with the specific conditions outlined in the approval letter issued by the MoEF (Ministry of Environment and Forests) on May 24, 2004, for the revised route, is as follows:
The letter dated July 15, 2003, issued by the State Government, details the mandatory legal environmental conditions and guidelines for complex infrastructure, industrial, or coastal projects located within critically ecologically sensitive coastal zones (regulated under the CRZ Notification).
Encroachment into the CRZ-I(i) area—which encompasses the most ecologically sensitive zones, such as intertidal areas and mangrove habitats—must be strictly avoided. [1]
There was a proposal to fell 650 mangrove trees along the pipeline corridor. As compensation, twice that number of new trees were to be planted. The pipeline route was subsequently altered in 2004. Over the years, in addition to mangroves, a total of 9,122 horticultural cuttings and 8,685 other (terrestrial) plants have been planted across an area of 1,203 hectares.
Since the pipeline passes through mangrove areas and the mudflats of the Tapti River, the project proponents were required to ensure full protection for the mangroves.
A plan had to be developed—in consultation with expert institutions and local voluntary organizations (NGOs)—to promote mangrove plantation. This plan was to be submitted to the Ministry within three months. As part of this, annual monitoring of the mangrove plantations has been conducted by Ahmedabad-based ‘CompuSense Automation’ using remote sensing techniques. A report on the study, carried out in December 2024, is attached to this Environmental Compliance Report (ECR).
Satellite-based Findings
Ahmedabad-based CompuSense Automation has prepared a study report titled “Annual Monitoring of Mangrove Plantations Using Remote Sensing Techniques.” This serves as a statutory requirement linked to the Environmental Compliance Report (ECR) for large-scale industrial operations in the Hazira coastal belt.
The primary objective of the CompuSense report is to track changes in mangrove density, total covered area, and overall health by utilizing high-resolution satellite imagery combined with specialized classification through a Geographic Information System (GIS). Monitored Sites and Locations
• Junagam: Junagam Crematorium Site and Junagam Sea Site
• Rajgari: Rajgari Crematorium Site, Rajgari Khada, Rajgari Khada New, and Rajgari Sea Site
• Vasva: Vasva Site-1 and Vasva Site-2
• Tunda Dabhari and Tunda More: Tunda Dabhari-Tunda More Site-1, and Tunda More Site-2
• Karanj: Karanj Site
The figures vary slightly across different years because the corporate terminal buffers monitored in Hazira have shown a consistent expansion—from 13.8 hectares to 68 hectares—over a decade-long observation window.
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Gulf of Khambhat
The Gulf of Khambhat is located in the northern part of the Arabian Sea. It is 80 km wide at its mouth, narrowing to approximately 25 km over a distance of 140 km.
The entire coastal region surrounding the Gulf is covered by vast tidal flats, which include numerous tidal creeks.
Major rivers such as the Ambika, Purna, Kim, Tapi, Narmada, Mahi, Sabarmati, and Dhadhar flow into the Gulf. A significant sandbank known as ‘Mal Bank’ is situated in the northern part of the Gulf, while the central section is deeper, with depths reaching up to 30 meters.
Most of the sand on the Gulf floor remains relatively stationary, though it shifts in the form of sand dunes driven by tidal action. Along the eastern coast of the Gulf, between Hazira and Dahej, there are several terminals for oil, gas, and chemicals, with additional units currently being planned.
Furthermore, the Gulf of Khambhat experiences the highest tidal range along the entire Indian coastline. Here, during a ‘spring tide’ (a high-amplitude tide occurring during a full or new moon), the tidal range can reach approximately 9 meters, generating very strong water currents.
Due to these intense tidal currents, the water in this region remains shallow and carries a high concentration of suspended sediment.
Studies of the ‘sand waves’ observed in the Gulf of Khambhat indicate that these formations develop under high-energy hydrodynamic conditions associated with powerful tidal currents (Vora et al., 1980). The crests of these formations are covered with fine-grained sediment, which originates from the substantial volume of silt transported by the Narmada and Tapi rivers.
According to the latest Forest Survey of India (FSI) 2021 report, mangroves cover an area of approximately 134 sq km along the coastline of the Gulf of Khambhat—accounting for 11.4% of Gujarat’s total mangrove cover (1,175 sq km).
The primary mangrove areas are located in the Bharuch (45.38 sq km) and Surat (19.32 sq km) districts, predominantly around river estuaries and the coastal gulf region. The Gujarat Ecology Commission (2009) has documented 12 species of mangroves across 19 talukas bordering the Gulf of Khambhat.According to the latest SI 2021 report, mangroves in the Surat district are spread over an area of 19.32 sq km, which is divided into several smaller patches. This includes medium-density and scattered mangroves, such as those in Hazira. The total mangrove area in Surat accounts for 1.6 percent of the total mangrove area in Gujarat. (google transletion from gujarati)
