×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

SC upholds NGT order to demolish oil storage tank by Adani's JV

A bench of Justices K M Joseph, B V Nagarathna and J B Pardiwala granted six months time to the authorities for demolishing five storage tanks
Last Updated 03 February 2023, 13:07 IST

The Supreme Court has upheld a 2020 decision of the National Green Tribunal and ordered demolition of an edible oil storage and transit terminal run by KTV Oil Mills and KTV Health Foods, a joint ventures of Adani Wilmar Limited and the KTV Group, in Chennai’s Tondiarpet coast for violating coastal zone regulations.

A bench of Justices K M Joseph, B V Nagarathna and J B Pardiwala granted six months time to the authorities for demolishing five storage tanks with a total capacity of 12,825 kilo litres.

"The maker of the CRZ notification has not even contemplated the activities in question in a ‘port area’. We must here elucidate and observe that if the contention (by the appellants) is to be upheld that a storage tank can be permitted outside the port limits, it will introduce chaos," the bench said.

Also Read | 'Criminal conspiracy': Plea filed in SC to probe Hindenburg report on Adani Group

In 2019, the project was granted post facto clearance by amending the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification and the construction work had begun in 2011 without the statutory clearance.

Notably, the CRZ Notification 2011 allowed storage facilities for non-hazardous cargo, such as edible oil, only within a notified port area.

The NGT's Southern Zone in 2020 said since the KTV storage and transit facility on Ennore Expressway was developed in a coastal regulation zone four km from the Chennai port, it could not be considered even for post facto clearance.

Acting on a plea by a Chennai-based NGO, working with local fisherfolk, the NGT had ordered demolition of the oil storage tanks and the 10-inch-diameter pipeline constructed for transferring edible oil from Chennai Port, and imposed Rs 25 lakh cost.

With regard to use of pipeline, the top court said the appellants were granted permission to District Coastal Zone Management Authority, which would consider the plea by the appellants in accordance with the law.

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 03 February 2023, 13:07 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT