Thiruvananthapuram: A team from Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change on Monday inspected the construction site at Pulinkudy Beach near Vizhinjam port to verify the status of environmental clearances for the ongoing port expansion works, which were halted following a high court order.The inspection was conducted to ascertain whether the construction activities at Pulinkudy, on the southern side of the Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd (VISL), have obtained the necessary environmental and coastal regulatory clearances. The ministry is expected to submit its inspection report before the high court, which will take up the case on Nov 25.The controversy erupted after the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority, in an affidavit submitted before the high court, stated that the construction at Pulinkudy was neither part of the existing nor proposed master plan of VISL nor covered by the environmental clearance issued by the Union ministry.Taking note of the affidavit, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M directed that construction activities at the beach be temporarily stopped, observing that further work without the requisite clearances could adversely affect the coastal environment.Therefore, the court had ordered a joint inspection in the presence of the petitioner and all respondents. It directed the ministry to submit an affidavit clarifying whether the construction had received approvals from all statutory authorities, along with supporting documents.The affidavit has triggered concerns within the state govt, as the port authorities maintain that the Pulinkudy construction is part of the port’s expansion master plan and that the required environmental clearance has been obtained. Govt has initiated steps to address the discrepancy in the submissions made before the court and is examining the circumstances that led to the conflicting positions.
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