Vizhinjam gets a jump scare

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.