Adani Port and SEZ (APSEZ) at Mundra in Gujarat has violated environmental clearance conditions, according to a report by a committee set up by the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF). The report says that there is evidence of ?destruction of mangroves, blocking of creeks and non-compliance of other clearance conditions?.
The committee has recommended the setting up of a fund of R200 crore or 1% of the project cost of the thermal power plant, whichever is higher. ?This fund should be used for remediation of environmental damage in Mundra, the report states.
It also seeks to cancel environmental clearance of the North Port. North port is the proposed area for a new port in Mundra Port.
?Seventy-five hectares of mangroves have been lost in Bocha Island, which was declared as a conservation zone. The company has not taken precautions to guard against blocking of creeks because of construction activities; satellite imagery shows signs of deterioration and loss of creeks near the proposed North Port,? stated the panel report, which was officially presented to environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan on Thursday.
After inspecting the site, the committee has concluded that 75 hectares of mangroves have been lost in Bocha Island, which was declared as a conservation zone under the environmental clearance conditions.
In response, the Gautam Adani-promoted company said, ?As a responsible corporate, we have been complying with the applicable rules and regulations. We are studying the report in detail and will work out appropriate steps. The north port has not been developed at all and hence this will not impact the current operations of the company.?
The five-member committee, which was headed by environmentalist Sunita Narain, included officials from the MoEF and experts on coastal ecosystem and disaster management.
