Mumbai’s Jawahar Dweep Becomes India’s First Plastic-free Oil Terminal

Jawahar Dweep Marine Oil Terminal at Mumbai Port Authority was made plastic-free on October 2, 2026, during Swachhata Abhiyan 2026 at Grey Gate, Indira Dock, Mumbai. The program was led by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. The initiative is part of the ongoing efforts of the Mumbai Port Authority to curb single-use plastic and enhance waste management.

What Happened at the Mumbai Port?

Swachhata Abhiyan 2026 started off with the lighting of lamps and paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi through garlands along with taking the Swachhata Pledge. Besides this, a documentary on how Mumbai Port kept the city clean during the previous year was shown.

Sonowal and the Mumbai Port Authority Chairperson Dr. M. Angamuthu honoured the Safai Karmis of the port for keeping the place clean and helping in running the port activities. The Union Minister also engaged in conversation with the sanitation workers and participated in tea reception arranged in their honor.

The Minister further inaugurated the Oil Spill Response (OSR) facility of the port in the name of the country and launched a cleanliness campaign in various places such as OSR facility, sea cleaning facility, BPX North Area Wharf, etc.

Jawahar Dweep Marine Oil Terminal

Jawahar Dweep is one of the main marine oil terminals at Mumbai Port. It caters to crude oil and petroleum products and at present the terminal has five jetties namely JD1, JD2, JD3, JD4 and JD5. The Mumbai Port Trust manages this terminal.

The fifth berth at the terminal named JD5 was opened for operations in December 2020. This berth measures 470 meters long and is built to handle large crude-oil carriers. The list of berths at Mumbai Port Authority includes JD1 to JD5 for loading and unloading of crude oil and petroleum cargo where JD4 and JD5 are used for loading and unloading of crude oil.

Main characteristics of Jawahar Dweep

• Location: Mumbai Port, Maharashtra
• Type: Marine Oil Terminal
• Jetties: JD1 to JD5
• Main cargo: Crude oil and petroleum products
• Length of JD5: 470 meters
• JD5: Suitable for large crude-oil carriers
• Operator: Mumbai Port Authority

Measures Against Single-use Plastic at Mumbai Port

The plastic free declaration is based on measures which have already been implemented by Mumbai Port Authority. The port has banned various kinds of single-use plastic within its operations starting from September 2021.

These include plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery, straws, trays, stirrers, specific plastic or PVC banners, polystyrene used in decorations, and some plastic-stemmed and plastic-stick products. Plastic coming in as packaging material is collected and sent for recycling.

It has been announced that clean-up and reduction measures against plastic will continue in its docks, residential colonies, and coastal areas all through the year.

Role of Mumbai Port Authority in Major Port Management

Mumbai Port Authority works under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) and is one of the major port authorities of India. The Major Port Authorities Act of 2021 regulates and operates the management of major ports of India and entrusts the governance, control and management of major ports to Boards of Major Port Authorities.

This Act came into existence on 3 November 2021 by repealing the previous Act Major Port Trusts Act of 1963. With the appointment of the first Board of Major Port Authorities, the name of former Mumbai Port Trust changed to Mumbai Port Authority since 31 January 2022.