<p data-path-to-node="2">The Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) has officially declared its Jawahar Dweep Marine Oil Terminal as entirely plastic-free, achieving a landmark environmental milestone in India's maritime sector. The announcement was formally made on October 2, 2026, coinciding with the Swachhata Abhiyan cleanliness drive held to commemorate the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. This historic declaration makes Jawahar Dweep the first heavy industrial oil terminal in the country to successfully eradicate single-use plastics from its daily operations.</p><p data-path-to-node="3">Located approximately four kilometers off the coast of Mumbai, the restricted offshore facility, historically known as Butcher Island, is a critical node in India's energy supply chain. The terminal consists of five deep-water berths dedicated to offloading, storing, and handling crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and various refined petroleum products. It actively serves major national refineries including BPCL, HPCL, IOCL, and ONGC, processing the bulk of the liquid cargo that accounts for nearly three-fifths of Mumbai Port’s overall traffic throughput.</p><p data-path-to-node="4">The declaration event at the Grey Gate in Indira Dock was led by the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal. During his address, the Minister highlighted that a plastic-free Jawahar Dweep serves as a powerful proof-of-concept that India's massive commercial ports can sustain aggressive industrial growth while rigorously upholding environmental standards. The initiative closely aligns with the Prime Minister's national vision under the Swachh Bharat Mission to curb marine plastic pollution at critical coastal infrastructure points.</p><p data-path-to-node="5">Alongside the plastic-free declaration, Minister Sonowal dedicated newly upgraded Oil Spill Response (OSR) facilities to the nation. These critical emergency hubs within the port ecosystem are explicitly designed to rapidly contain and manage accidental spills of crude oil or hazardous liquids. Integrating these state-of-the-art response capabilities alongside aggressive plastic reduction demonstrates a comprehensive, multi-tiered approach to preserving the fragile marine ecosystem surrounding Mumbai's highly trafficked harbor.</p><p data-path-to-node="6">The MbPA's journey toward this achievement began in September 2021 when it initially banned single-use plastics across its broader premises. Translating this ban to a heavy industrial offshore oil terminal required extensive behavioral shifts among the workforce and the implementation of stringent waste management protocols. To recognize these ground-level efforts, the Union Minister held a special interaction and tea reception with the Safai Karmis (sanitation workers), acknowledging their central role in maintaining the facility's rigorous environmental hygiene.</p><p data-path-to-node="7">Looking ahead, this milestone at Jawahar Dweep is positioned as the first phase of a much broader environmental strategy for the Mumbai Port Authority. Emboldened by this success, the MbPA has publicly committed to scaling these zero-plastic measures across all its active commercial docks, residential colonies, and coastal jurisdictions throughout the remainder of the year. For the readers of the Haulagetimes file, this sets a new operational standard, proving that sustainable, green port operations can be successfully implemented even within the most complex and heavy-duty maritime supply chains.</p>