HC blocks MPSEZ over green nod

In a major blow to Adani group’s Mundra Port Special Economic Zone (MPSEZ), Gujarat high court said that no construction or development activities can be held in the zone without the necessary environmental clearance from the union ministry of environment and forest (MoEF).

 It means that any unit which is operating in the MPSEZ can’t carry out construction work till it secures the permission of MoEF. The bench told Alstom-Bharat Forge Limited and Kalyani-Alstom Power Limited to halt the development work on the leased space in the zone.

Ranubha Rajmalji Jadeja and five other petitioners have challenged the construction activities being undertaken by the Alstom-Bharat Forge limited. Their main contention was that environmental clearance had not been given to the MPSEZ and hence no activities shall be undertaken.

“Only on environmental clearance, any construction, relating to setting up of the project, can be undertaken,” said the bench.

The bench also said, “The government has allotted approximately 18,000 hectares of land for the purpose of developing a port. If the MPSEZ itself is not accorded environmental clearance, then the question will be as to who will develop the port and whether the port can be developed by the allottees who have been allotted land by the MPSEZ. This area includes 14 villages of Mundra Taluka and the MPSEZ has to provide for infrastructural facilities.”