THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Supreme Court refused to stay a National Green Tribunal (NGT) decision to transfer cases related to the Vizhinjam seaport project to its principal bench in New Delhi. The SC decision is being viewed as a setback as it might result in further project delay.
Kerala’s plea was that the cases should be handled by the Chennai Bench of the NGT, but the three-member SC Green Bench observed that it cannot arrive at a decision without looking at the facts more closely. Conservation of the environment was as important as economic matters, the bench observed.
The case pertains to sets of petitions filed before the Chennai and New Delhi benches of NGT respectively seeking withdrawal of the environment clearance given to the Vizhinjam project.
The first petition challenging the environment clearance given to the project was filed before the Chennai Bench by A Joseph Vijayan, Christopher and Michael of Thiruvananthapuram. The second one, which questioned the environment clearance as well as the CRZ notification of 2011, was filed before the NGT principal bench in New Delhi by Marydasan of Adimalathura and Wilfred of Puthiyathura.
Meanwhile, the high-level meeting on Viability Gap Funding (VGF) that was scheduled to be held in New Delhi on Friday has been postponed.