NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal on Tuesday slapped damages to the tune of Rs 100 crore on a Panama-based shipping company and its two Qatar-based sister concerns for causing an oil spill when a cargo vessel sank off Mumbai coast in 2011 and held them guilty as defaulting entities which had adopted the most careless and reckless attitude in protecting the marine environment.
While asking the three companies to pay Rs 100 crore as environmental compensation (EC) to the Ministry of Shipping, a Bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar also ordered Gujarat-based Adani Enterprises Ltd to pay Rs 5 crore as EC for dumping in the seabed 60054 MT coal, being carried by the ship M V RAK and polluting the marine environment.
The tribunal asked Republic of Panama’s Delta Shipping Marine Services SA, Qatar-based Delta Navigation WLL and Delta Group International to pay Rs 100 crore to the Ministry, observing that reports showed that the documents in favour of the ship were issued in a biased manner and the vessel was not seaworthy, right from the inception of its voyage. “The consignment of 60054 MT of coal has caused marine pollution and continues to be a cause and concern for environmental pollution,” the bench said in its 223-page judgement.