Wednesday, 10 April 2013

Green Tribunal’s red light to Kerala’s greenfield airport near Sabarimala

The Regional Bench of the National Green Tribunal here on Tuesday stayed a Kerala government notification giving nod to a big private airport project at Aranmula in Pathanamthitta district by acquiring around 500 acres of wet and industrial land.
The tribunal, comprising judicial member Justice M Chockalingam and expert member Professor R Nagendran, also restrained the KGS Aranmula International Airport Limited from carrying any related activities for construction of a greenfield airport near Sabarimala, until further orders were given.The green tribunal was passing interim orders on an application from Aranmula Heritage Village Protection Action Council seeking to set aside the order of Kerala government granting in-principal sanction in 2010 for the proposed the `2,000 crore airport project and its subsequent notification in the year 2011.
The applicant contended it was aggrieved by the action of the authorities allowing the construction of a private airport in violations of provisions of the Kerala Conservation of Paddy and Wet Land  Act, 2008 and other relevant laws.
When the application came up on Tuesday, Era Meiyappan, counsel for the applicant submitted before the bench that the private company had purchased the property in question including paddy fields along with trees. The petition contended that the company had diverted a water channel which ran to river Pamba.
The company had applied to the authorities concerned and obtained permission to build the green field airport in a fast manner.
The company had subsequently  commenced construction activities in the area violation of the environment law, the petitioner said.
“The construction activity is fully detrimental to ecology and environment of the area. The said activities caused environmental degradation. Under these circumstances, if the activities of the company are not stopped, it would cause huge environment impact,” the counsel contended.
The National Green Tribunal said that it was satisfied that the petitioner had made a prima facie case for grant of interim stay of the notification and also other connected activities
http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article1528121.ece
 

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