KSPCB’s clearance for Karwar port work is illegal, says K’taka HC

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday declared the consent granted by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) on July 1, 2020, to the Karwar port in Uttara Kannada district for second stage development as illegal.

A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj stated that the very purpose of the Board was defeated by the clearance given to work which is part of the Sagar Mala project.

The court also said that the manner in which KSPCB dealt with the application made by the Port Officer for grant of consent was ‘shocking.’

“The State Government and Director of Ports and Inland Water, Karwar, must ensure that terms and conditions for environment clearance as made by the State-level Environment Impact Assessment Authority on January 23, 2019, are scrupulously followed and implemented,” the bench said.

The bench also directed the State government to comply with a few other conditions before work commences at the port.