Aranmula NGT 28May2014.Pdf
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BEFORE THE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL SOUTHERN ZONE, CHENNAI Appeal Nos. 172, 173, 174 of 2013 (SZ) and Appeal Nos. 1 and 19 of 2014 (SZ) Appeal No. 172 of 2013 (SZ) In the matter of: Sreeranganathan K.P., Sreepadam Vadakkkekkottaram (H) Aranmula P.O., Pathanamthitta District Kerala .. Appellant and 1. The Union of India Rep.by its Secretary Ministry of Enivironment and Forests CGO Complex, New Delhi 2. The State of Kerala Rep. by its Principal Secretary Environment Department Thiruvananthapuram 3. Kerala State Pollution Control Board Rep by its Member Secretary Pattom, P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 4. M/s. K.G.S. Aranmula Airport Ltd., No. 43, Besant Avenue Road Adyar, Chennai- 600 020. .. Respondents Counsel appearing: M/s. T. Mohan and A. Yogeshwaran, Advocates for appellant M/s. C. Sangamithirai, Advocate for respondent No. 1, Shri K.P. Dhandapani, Advocate General, State of Kerala assisted by Shri Rohan D. Alexander, Government Pleader attached to Advocate General and Suvitha A. S., Special Government Pleader for respondent No. 2 Shri M. Ajay, Advocate for respondent No. 3. Shri T.R. Rajagopalan, Senior Advocate for Shri Sathish Parasaran, Advocate for respondent No. 4. 1 Appeal No. 173 of 2013 (SZ) In the matter of: Padmakumar S/o. Achuthan Nair Keechemparambil House Aranmula P.O., Pathanamthitta District Kerala State, PIN: 689 533 .. Appellant and 1. Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests Rep.by its Director Parayavaran Bhavan, C.G.O. Complex Lodhi Road, New Delhi- 110 003 2. The Managing Direcor M/s. K.G.S. Ltd., Bhasanth Avenue Road Adyar, Chennai Tamil Nadu – 600 020. .. Respondents Counsel appearing: M/s. Ashok M. Cherian, K. Janardhan Shenoy, Advocates for appellant Smt. C. Sangamithirai, Advocate for respondent No.1, Shri T.R. Rajagopalan, Senior Advocate assisted by Shri. Sathish Parasaran, Advocate for respondent No. 2 Appeal No. 174 of 2013 (SZ) In the matter of: Aranmula Heritage Village Action Council Represented by its Patron Kummanam Rajashekharan Thekkenada, Aranmula – P.O. Pathanamthitta District .. Appellant and 1. State of Kerala, represented by its Chief Secretary Kerala State Government Secretariat Thiruvananthapuram - 695 001 2 2. Secretary to Government, Revenue Department, Kerala Government Secretariat Thiruvananthapuram - 695 001. 3. Secretary to Government, Industries Department, Kerala Government Secretariat Thiruvananthapuram - 695 001 4. Secretary to Government, Agriculture Department, Kerala Government Secretariat Thiruvananthapuram - 695 001 5. Secretary to Government, Irrigation Department, Kerala Government Secretariat Thiruvananthapuram - 695 001 6. Secretary to Government Environment Department Kerala Government Secretariat Thiruvananthapuram - 695 001 7. Agriculture Officer, Krishi Bhavan Aranmula, Pathanamthitta – 689 533 8. Agriculture Officer, Krishi Bhavan Mallapuzhassery, Pathanamthitta – 689 533 9. Village Officer, Aranmula, Pathanamthitta – 689 533 10. Village Officer, Krishi Bhavan Mallapuzhassery, Pathanamthitta – 689 533 11. Village Officer, Kidanganoor, Pathanamthitta – 689 514 12. Tahsildar, Kozhenchery, Pathanamthitta – 689 641 13. District Collector, Pathanamthitta -689 645 14. Revenue Divisional Officer, Adoor Pathanamthitta-691 523 15. Union of India, Represented by its Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, New Delhi – 110 001 16. Secretary, Ministry of Defence, New Delhi – 110 001 3 17. Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Paryavaran Bhavan, New Delhi -110 001 18. M/s. KGS Aranmula International Air Port Ltd. Registered Office, KGS Corporate House, No.43, Basant Avenue Road, Adayar, Chennai-600 020. 19. K.J.Abraham @ Kalamannil Abraham, Kalamannil Veedu, Kozhenchery Village, Pathanamthitta-689 641 20. Expert Appraisal Committee, Ministry of Environment and Forest Paryavaran Bhavan, New Delhi – 110 001 21. Taluk Land Board, Kozhencherry, Represented by its Chairman, Collectorate, Pathanamthitta .. Respondents Counsel appearing: M/s. R. Krishnaraj, Advocate for Shri Ramesh Kumar Chopra, Counsel for appellant Shri K. P. Dhandapani, Advocate General, Kerala assisted by Shri Roshan D. Alexander and Smt. Suvitha, A.S. Advocates for respondent No. 1 to – respondent No. 14 and respondent No. 21, Smt. C. Sangamithirai, Advocate for respondent No. 17 and respondent No. 20, Shri T.R. Rajagopalan, Senior Advocate assisted by Shri. Sathish Parasaran, Advocate for respondent No. 18 Appeal No. 1 of 2014 (SZ) In the matter of: P.Prasad, aged 45 years S/o Parameswaran Nair R. Ravindran Smarakam, Kannankara Pathanamthitta, Kerala .. Appellant(s) and 1. The Union of India represented by Secretary Department of Environment and Forest New Delhi 2. The Director, Parayavaran Bhavan CGO Complex, Lodhi Road New Delhi-3 4 3. M/s. KGS Aranmula International Airport Limited Registered Office, KGS Corporate House No.43, Basant Avenue Road Adayar, Chennai-600 020 Represented by its Managing Director 4. Kerala State Pollution Control Board Represented by its Secretary Office of Kerala State Pollution Control Board Pattom P.O., Thiruvananthapuram – 695 004 5. Shri. C.P. Mohammed M.L.A. Chairman, Committee of Environment Kerala Legislature Kerala Legislature Complex Thiruvananthapuram 6. State of Kerala represented by Secretary, Department of Revenue Secretariat, Thiruvananthapuram .. Respondent(s) Counsel appearing: Shri Ranjith Thamban, Senior Advocate for Shrimathi Rema Smrithi, and Shrimathi Mallika Srinivasan, Advocates for appellant Smt. C. Sangamithirai, Advocate for R-1 and R-2, Shri T.R. Rajagopalan, Senior Advocate assisted by Shri Sathish Parasaran, Advocate for respondent No. 3, Shri M. Ajay, Advocate for respondent No. 4, Shri K.P. Dhandapani, Advocate General, Kerala assisted by Shri. Roshan D. Alexander, and Smt. Suvitha A.S., Advocates for respondent No. 5 and respondent No. 6 Appeal No. 19 of 2014 (SZ) In the matter of: K.K.Royson (Former President, Pathanamthitta District Panchayat) Kaithavana Malayil House Thekkamala PO, Kozhencherry Pathanamthitta (District) Kerala – 689 654 .. Appellant(s) and 5 1. The Government of India represented by Secretary Ministry of Environment and Forests (IA-III Division) Parayavaran Bhavan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road New Delhi-110 003 2. State of Kerala represented by Secretary, Department of Environment Government Secretariat Thiruvananthapuram – 695 001 3. M/s. KGS Aranmula International Airport Limited Registered Office, KGS Corporate House No.43, Basant Avenue Roa Adayar, Chennai-600 020 Represented by its Managing Director 4. Kozhencherry Charitable Education Society Represented by its Chairman K.J.Abraham, Kalamannil House Kozhencherry, Pathanamthitta Kerala – 689 641 5. Enviro Care India Private Ltd Represented by its Chairman, 43, 2nd Street, Harvey Nagar Madurai, Tamil Nadu – 625 016 6. Kerala State Pollution Control Board Represented by its Secretary Pattom P.O., Thiruvananthapuram – 695 004 7. The District Collector Pathanamthitta, District Collectorate Pathanamthitta, Kerala – 689 645 ... Respondent(s) Counsel appearing: Shri. Jacob Alex, Advocate for appellant Smt. C. Sangamithirai, Advocate for respondent No. 1, Shri K. P. Dhandapani, Advocate General assisted by Shri Roshan D. Alexander and Smt. Suvitha, A.S. Advocates for respondent No. 2, Shri T.R. Rajagopalan, Senior Advocate for Shri Sathish Parasaran, Advocate for respondent No. 3 and respondent No. 7, Shri P.S. Raman, Senior Advocate assisted by Shrimathi Pushpa Menon, Advocate for respondent No. 5, Shri M. Ajay, Advocate for respondent No. 6 6 COMMON JUDGMENT Present: (1) Hon’ble Shri Justice M. Chockalingam Judicial Member (2) Hon’ble Prof. Dr. R. Nagendran Expert Member ___________________________________________________________________ Date: 28th May, 2014 ___________________________________________________________________ (Hon’ble Shri Justice M. Chockalingam, Judicial Member) Appeal No. 172 of 2013 (SZ) This appeal has been preferred by the appellant herein against the order of the 1st respondent, Ministry of Environment and Forests (for short ‘MoEF’) dated 18.11.2013, granting Environmental Clearance (for short ‘ EC’) to the 4th respondent, M/s. KGS Aranmula Air Port Ltd., to set up an airport at Mallappuzhasserry, Aranmula and Kidangannur villages in Kozencherry taluk of Pathanamthitta District, Kerala. A writ petition has also been filed in W.P. (C). No. 6004 of 2012 challenging the notification issued by the 2nd respondent, the State of Kerala declaring the area as an industrial area and the said writ petition is still pending before the Hon’ble High Court of Kerala. The brief facts of the appeal filed herein are stated as follows: 2. The proposed airport is being set up by the 4th respondent on the banks of the holy river Pampa, in an ecologically sensitive and environmentally diverse and rich area. Aranmula is a declared heritage site and gets its name from the centuries old Aranmula Parthasarathy temple and it attracts a large number of devotees. The Aranmula village is situate at the beautiful wetland eco- system on the banks of the 7 holy river Pampa represents the epitome of Kerala culture and also the apex heritage of Kerala. 3. Mallappuzhasserry, Aranmula and Kidangannur villages where the airport is to be set up are agricultural villages with paddy being the principal crop and the wetlands in the area are major bio-diversity hotspots. The 1st respondent, without considering the deleterious effects of the airport on the pristine environment of the area, has granted the impugned EC to the 4th respondent. The Environment Impact Assessment