Thiruvananthapuram: It may not be smooth sailing for the Vizhinjam international seaport project being developed by Adani Ports going by the Green Tribunal verdict in a case related to the Hazira port, Surat.
The western zone bench, Pune, of the National Green Tribunal has ordered the Adani-Hazira Port Private Limited and Hazira Infrastructures Private Limited to pay up Rs 25 crore in four weeks towards compensation and restoration of damages in the case filed by the Hazira Machchimaar Samiti.
The samiti had challenged the environmental clearance granted by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) in 2013 to the Hazira port.
Hazira port or Surat port is a deep-water LNG terminal and multi-cargo deep-water port about 30 km southwest of Surat. The LNG facility is operational while the cargo port is under development.
The tribunal comprising judicial member Justice V.R. Kingaonkar and expert Dr Ajay A. Deshpande in its order on January 8 also instructed the collector to demolish the construction over 25 hectares and restore the land in case of non-compliance.
The bench ordered them to pay the cost of Rs.2 lakh each to the appellants as litigation costs and bear their own costs.
A report will be called in six weeks from the directorate of settlement and land records and conservator of forest, as to whether afforestation of mangroves was implemented as per the conditions of Environmental Clearance issued in 2003, as well as the impugned.
In case of non-compliances, the further construction activity of the port under the impugned EC shall be stalled.
It may be recalled that the fishermen in Vizhinjam have also alleged livelihood loses in the seaport project developed by Adani Group.
National Fish Workers’ Forum secretary T. Peter said here on Saturday that the judgment had exposed the corporate nexus with the government, especially in destroying the environment and the source of livelihood of the traditional workers.
The track record of corporate companies like Adani in pursuing their vested interests was well-known, especially by violating the law of the land and the interest of the communities, he said. This was clear in this particular case too. The claims of Adani Group that they were doing everything legal had
fallen flat, Mr Peter said.
