GCZMA asked to report on illegal activities

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) to submit a report within a month on the action taken against illegal expansion of the Kandala Port and unauthorised activities taking place around it.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel slammed the GCZMA for inaction and said it has failed to perform its duty despite admitting that illegal activities are going on. 

The green panel's direction came after perusing a report dated February 5 which acknowledged that there was violation and said that an advisory has been issued by the district magistrate (chairman, District Level CRZ Committee) to the chairman of the Kandala Port Trust to stop the usage of pipeline without obtaining clearance. 

"It is clear from the report that even though illegality has been found, the regulatory authority has failed to perform its duty to take appropriate further action, including recovery of compensation for the damage caused by the said illegal activities. 

As laid down by this tribunal repeatedly, the regulatory authorities are not only required to prohibit illegal polluting activities, but they are also required to recover compensation for the damage caused, apart from prosecution or other steps to render polluting activities to be unprofitable," the bench, also comprising justices S P Wangdi and K Ramakrishnan, said. 

The tribunal directed the GCZMA to furnish the report within a month by e-mail and posted the matter for hearing on May 7. 

The tribunal was hearing a plea by Gujarat native Pratap Badlani that alleged violation of guidelines in development and expansion of the existing port by the Kandala Port Trust. 

It was alleged that a storage tank has been set up and interconnecting pipeline has been laid in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone norms.