More Stories

Informist, Wednesday, Jul. 16, 2025

 

NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Central Pollution Control Board and the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board on Adani Krishnapatnam Port Ltd.'s plea contesting a penalty order from the National Green Tribunal against the Adani group company. The top court will next hear Adani Krishnapatnam's plea on Jul. 30.

 

In February, the tribunal had directed Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board to impose environmental compensation against Adani Krishnapatnam Port for environmental violations in the past. The tribunal had passed this order while hearing a suo-moto case where it was alleged that Adani Krishnapatnam Port's management had consistently violated environmental regulations, including conditions outlined in its environmental clearance and other licences, and continued to rely on private, illegal groundwater suppliers.

 

According to the case in the tribunal, Adani Krishnapatnam Port handled large coal cargo, and its operations, including the import, storage, and transportation of coal, resulted in significant dust pollution. The dry, windy conditions cause coal dust to drift into surrounding villages, leading to severe health issues for residents, the petition in the tribunal stated. The company has not taken the necessary measures to mitigate this pollution, the petition added.

 

The petition also said that the fine coal dust spreading into the villages affects plant growth and causes serious environmental and health problems from prolonged exposure. Despite being operational for over 25 years, Adani Krishnapatnam Port has failed to establish the required green belt, with only 2% plantation instead of the mandated 33%, said the petition. Other contributing factors include overloading of vehicles, lack of wind-shields, and the absence of pollution control measures like sprinklers and monitoring stations, the petition said.

 

In order to ascertain the allegations made, the tribunal had constituted a joint committee of representatives from the Central Pollution Control Board, Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board, and Collector of Nellore to verify the factual position and take appropriate remedial action in the case. The joint committee said that Adani Krishnapatnam Port had complied with most of the environmental clearance and coastal regulation zone clearance conditions, except specific conditions such as the development of a 100-metre wide greenbelt around the coal stockyard, giving priority to the maintenance of storm water drains from the surrounding areas, and mechanisation of port operation.

 

Thereafter, the committee recommended Adani Krishnapatnam Port to expedite the dust control measures as per the timelines submitted to Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board, as well as other related measures. Based on the report from the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board and the panel, the tribunal noted that the company had adhered to all the directions and recommendations issued. Consequently, the tribunal closed the case against the company but issued certain directions, such as levying a penalty for previous violations and asking it to follow the recommendations of the panel in a timely manner.  End

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Tanima Banerjee

 

For users of real-time market data terminals, Informist news is available exclusively on the NSE Cogencis WorkStation.

 

Cogencis news is now Informist news. This follows the acquisition of Cogencis Information Services Ltd by NSE Data & Analytics Ltd, a 100% subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. As a part of the transaction, the news department of Cogencis has been sold to Informist Media Pvt Ltd.

 

Informist Media Tel +91 (11) 4220-1000

Send comments to feedback@informistmedia.com

 

© Informist Media Pvt. Ltd. 2025. All rights reserved.