over 6,000 fisherfolk, farmers, tribals and artisans took part in a protest march in coastal Maharashtra recently against the setting up of India's largest industrial port at Vadhwan by Peninsular & Orient ( p&o ), a multinational company. Campaigners say that Dahanu, where the port will be located is one of the tree eco-fragile regions in India and is considered the lungs of the country's commercial capital, Mumbai.

However, p&o maintains that the port will not affect the breeding grounds or fishing and that the local communities will actually benefit from better road and rail links. According to a study by Vasundhra, a non-governmental agency the port will "destroy the self-sufficiency and sustainable economies of the villages".