Supreme Court asks green tribunal to decide Kerala deep sea port case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to consider finally a case regarding the construction of a deep sea port in Vizhinjam, near Kovalam, Kerala. The court lifted a stay imposed on the proceedings before the NGT last year.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zones Ltd (APSEZ), India’s biggest private port operator, won the contract for the ₹ 6,000-crore project. Construction of the port started on 17 November.

A bench comprising chief justice T.S. Thakur, justices A.K. Sikri and R. Banumathi asked the NGT to hear and decide the case within six weeks.

The court said that there wouldn’t be any adjournments or interim orders that would be passed in the case.

The case before the apex court will remain pending till the NGT decides the case.

Vizhinjam is APSEZ’s ninth port facility spread across the eastern and western coasts of India including Mundra, Tuna-Tekra, Hazira, Dahej, Mormugao, Visakhapatnam, Kamarajar, and Kattupalli.