National Green Tribunal dismisses appeal against Puthuvypeen LPG terminal

KOCHI: The National Green Tribunal on Thursday dismissed an appeal filed against the extension of environment clearance for the LPG import Terminal at Puthuvypeen by the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC). The Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change had earlier in January 2017 extended the environment clearance for the project. The appellant had urged that the extension was not properly granted as the Ministry had considered the ‘changed’ environmental conditions at the project site. The appeal was filed well after the expiry of the time to challenge the order.

Under the law an appeal against grant of Environment Clearances have to be preferred within 30 days of the grant. In this case the appellants preferred the appeal after more than 91 days from the grant of Environment Clearance. The appellant filed the appeal even without filing an application for condoning the delay. Although the appellants argued before the Tribunal that the fact of the grant of Environment Clearance was not communicated to them, the Tribunal felt that uploading of Environment Clearance by the Ministry on its website was sufficient.

The dismissal of the appeal however will not put an end to the travails of IOC in connection with the project. There is another application, still pending before the Tribunal, in which it is alleged that the project is not being constructed in accordance with the terms of the Environment Clearance. The application is now listed on October 10 for final
hearing.