PANAJI
The Bombay High Court has allowed the Goa Foundation and the Old Cross Fishing Canoe Owners Cooperative Society to intervene in a petition filed by South West Port Ltd, (SWPL), a JSW subsidiary, against the State of Goa.
The High Court allowed the two parties to file detailed affidavits bringing to the attention of the Court certain facts relating to the matter.
SWPL has filed a petition before the Bombay High Court at Goa seeking clarification and modification of an order passed by the NGT Delhi restraining authorities from granting CRZ or environment clearances unless the Integrated Coastal Management Plans of all the coastal states have been prepared and approved. SWPL first approached the NGT Delhi where the application was opposed by the Goa Foundation. SWPL then withdrew the application from the NGT and filed it as a writ petition in the Bombay High Court.
At stake is the environmental clearance for expansion of coal handling which SWPL has sought and which has been recommended by the expert appraisal committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). However, the final clearance has not been granted because the MoEF&CC’s hands are tied by the NGT order which says that no CRZ permissions can be granted till the plans are ready.
The Goa Foundation and the Old Cross Fishing Canoe filed an application to be joined as Respondents in the writ petition as they wished to bring on record several documents related to the issue for the benefit of the court’s adjudication in public interest.
