Sajjan Jindal-led JSW Infrastructure Ltd, India’s second biggest private port operator, has ‘surrendered’ the environmental and coastal regulation zone clearance for constructing a greenfield jetty at Nandgaon in Palghar taluka of Maharashtra’s Thane district.
The environmental and coastal regulation zone clearance was granted in February 2016, but the implementation of the project was delayed due to legal cases at the Bombay High Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Last year, JSW Infrastructure ‘surrendered’ the waterfront allotted to it for building the jetty back to the Maharashtra Maritime Board.
Since obtaining prior approvals for the project, JSW Infrastructure said it has not carried out any construction activities at the proposed site for developing a 16.7 million tonne (mt) capacity jetty.
The facility was planned to handle captive cargo of JSW Group as well as commercial cargo such as coal, iron ore, limestone, bauxite, cement, fertiliser, POL, LPG, LNG, chemicals, cars, Ro-Ro vessels, containers, and project cargo.
As the implementation of the project was delayed and subsequent to the surrender of waterfront to the Maharashtra Maritime Board, the port operator said it was surrendering the environmental clearance granted on February 9, 2016, for constructing the jetty.
Green groups approached the NGT seeking to reverse the environmental and coastal regulation zone clearance, arguing that it was granted without considering the proposed project’s impact on environment, livelihood of the people, mainly fishermen community, and its proximity to the Tarapur Atomic Power Station.
However, the petitions to set aside the environment and coastal regulation zone clearance were rejected by the NGT.
Separately, the Mumbai High Court dismissed a writ petition against the project.
During an April 21 meeting, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) attached to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change recommended the proposal filed by JSW Infrastructure to ‘surrender’ the environmental and coastal regulation zone clearance granted to the planned jetty.
The EAC’s recommendation will have to be signed off by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
After returning the waterfront to build a jetty at Nandgaon to the Maharashtra government, JSW Infrastructure filed a suo moto proposal with the Maharashtra Maritime Board to develop a new port at Murbe in the state’s Palghar district with an investment of some ₹4,259 crore.
(source: ET Infra)