In a relief for Adani Ports and Kerala government, the chairperson bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) dismissed a petition challenging the environment clearance for Vizhinjam International Sea Port, Kerala. The four-member bench chaired by justice Swatanter Kumar said that the port is crucial for economic development of state of Kerala as well s the country. The petitioners Wilfred J, Marydasan and A Joseph Vijayan from Trivandrum had challenged the port's EC on grounds that its location is an area of outstanding natural beauty according to CRZ notification 1991 and that the dredging activities will affect the shoreline and lead to erosion.
Even as they dismissed the petition, the chairperson bench also constituted a seven member expert body to map the shoreline changes in the port area. "The Expert Committee shall monitor each and every condition stipulated in the EC and CRZ clearance granted by the MoEF and the directions contained herein. The Member Secretary of the Committee shall file a report, in every six months, to the Tribunal. Establish mechanism for setting up a Cell within CZMA Kerala for regular monitoring of the Shoreline changes in the project area, and within 10 Km on either side, at the cost of project proponent," the NGT judgement said.
Speaking on the grounds of the judgement, the bench said, "It is an admitted position that in the subsequent CRZ Notification of 2011 the category of areas of outstanding natural beauty has not been included. It is pertinent to mention here that the Appellant has preferred not to challenge the Notification of CRZ, 2011. After coming up into existence of CRZ- 2011 the earlier Notification of 1991 is non-existent and stands superseded.
The Vizhinjam port was granted environment and CRZ clearance on January 3, 2014. The Government of Kerala had established the Vizhinjam International Sea Port Ltd. as the modal agency to develop an international container transhipment terminal of which the Chief Minister is the Chairman. The port is to be completed in three phases. The first phase is to come up in 66 hectares of land to be reclaimed from the sea.
The Vizhinjam port has been touted as a counter to the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka that was built with the help of the Chinese. The Centre has promised a viability gap funding of Rs.800 crore to build the port. In a statement on the NGT judgement, Adani Group said, "The Adani Group welcomes the National Green Tribunal's decision to uphold environment and coastal regulatory zone clearances granted to the Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd and subsequent dismissal of various appeals challenging the statutory approvals."
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