Setback for Adani Port: SC refuses to stay NGT order

In a setback to Adani Ports, the Supreme Court has refused to vacate the cancellation of environmental clearance, which was earlier granted to Hazira Port. Adani Ports had challenged the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order before SC. It was seeking a stay on NGT order cancelling the environmental clearance.

A union of local fishermen had alleged non-compliance with local environmental norms and had approached the NGT first, which had then cancelled the environmental clearance and also slapped a penalty of Rs 25 crore. This order was challenged before the apex court.

On Thursday, P Chidambaram appeared before the Supreme Court and said this order has hit the operations quite hard and that the port is not being able to operate smoothly. Additionally, the shipping operations have become dysfunctional. Investments to the tune of Rs 3300 crore have been called into question because of this one single order.

But the Supreme Court in turn questioned Adani Ports on their arguments. It observed the cancellation of environmental clearance does not affect the shipping and port operations. to that extent, the apex court has refused to grant any interim order and said it would be ex-parte order, implying without hearing the other side. The matter would be taken up in four weeks and in the interim Adani Ports has been directed to furnish the Rs 25-crore penalty.