Setback for Aranmula airport project as SC upholds NGT green clearance

The SC decision is a major setback for the Congress-led Government in Kerala which had taken 10 % stake in the private venture

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the National Green Tribunal decision nullifying the green clearance given to the proposed green field private airport at Aranmula in Central Kerala’s Pathanamthitta.

The SC decision is a major setback for the Congress-led Government in Kerala which had taken 10 per cent stake in the private venture after converting the encroached land into government equity. KGS Arnamula Airport Limited had envisaged the airport at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore at heritage village Aranmula.

On May 28, the Chennai bench of the National Green Tribunal had denied environmental clearance to the airport project, stating that the Enviro Care India Private Limited, the firm which held the environmental impact assessment of the project, did not have mandatory eligibility. An action council at Aranmula, spearheading the agitation against the project, had approached the tribunal.

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The airport company, KGS Aranmula Airport Limited, approached the Supreme Court against the verdict of the green tribunal. However, the division bench of the chief justice H L Dattu ratified the tribunal decision.

The court observed whether the Enviro Care India Private Limited has the required eligibility to conduct impact assessment studies of airport which are in the `A’ category of construction.

The Airport company managing director Giji George said the company would file review petition and try to get a new accredited agency to study the environmental impact.

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