Fresh NGT?order restrains Aranmula airport project

Chennai: The southern bench of the national green tribunal on Tuesday issued a fresh interim order restraining KGS Aranmula Airport Ltd from going ahead with the multi-crore greenfield airport project in Aranmula, Pathanmthitta district, Kerala.

When a petition filed by the Aranmula heritage village action council and others came up for hearing before the tribunal, it counsel R. Krishna Raj contended that suppressing various facts, the project obtained clearance from the authorities.

The legislative committee for environment of Kerala had opposed the move to establish the airport in Aranmula, situated on the banks of the holy Pampa river.

The Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) had not applied its mind while according permission to the project and had not verified the documents and facts, he alleged.

Krishna Raj sought the tribunal to pass an interim order staying the operation of the order of the MoEF granting environment clearance to the project and direct the Kerala government to produce all the files relating to the matter. He alleged that entire project was illegal.

Opposing this, senior counsel for KGS Aranmula Airport Ltd, T.R. Rajagopalan, said those who resist the project had not attended the public hearings conducted by the authorities.

After hearing the submissions, the bench, comprising judicial member, Justice M. Chokalingam, and expert member R. Nagendran, said, “Last month, the tribunal had directed the respondents to maintain status quo and the same order shall continue until further orders.”

The bench also directed the Union and state governments, and KGS Aranmula Airport Limited to file their replies before January31.

Last month, the bench passed an interim order on an appeal filed by K.P. Sreeranganathan, a resident of the area, against the environment clearance for the project. A. Padmakumar, former MLA of the Konni constituency, and P.Prasad of Kannankara, also filed appeals before the tribunal.