A private company, Om Sai Navigations, which has been assigned the work for strengthening and upgrading the Victor Port for cargo handling facilities refuted the allegations that it had destroyed a large number of mangroves for executing the project. The submission was made by the company before the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday.

The court had issued a notice to the company on February 6 seeking a reply from it after a public interest litigation alleged that it had destroyed a large number of mangroves in the coastal region.

The company has claimed, in its affidavit submitted to the court, that when Victor Port was already in existence and operational, the possibility of mangroves on the port and the company destroying the same does not arise. It has also submitted that it has been permitted the work of maintenance and repair of the port, along with dredging of the navigation channel.

It claimed that the petitioner, Ajay Shiyal, has suppressed information before the court and has not revealed that he had participated in a public hearing in September 2017, whereby the queries raised by him were replied by the company. It has also demanded that the court should dismiss the petition for suppression of facts.

The court on February 6 had imposed a stay on the illegal destruction of mangroves cover along the coastline near the villages of Victor, Pipavav, Behrai, Karthivadar, Datardi, Khera, Chanch, and Patva, of Amreli district by private companies.

Shiyal had claimed in his petition that around 1.4 lakh mangroves were grown during the period between 2005 and 2017. The main purpose behind growing the mangrove cover was to stop the sea water from entering into the villages and to decrease soil salinity. It also helped in protecting the shoreline from storms, tides, etc, by preventing soil erosion.

He had submitted that several industries have set up their operations in Rajula taluka of Amreli district for commercial activities and are illegally destroying the mangroves to meet their additional land requirements. He contended that he also made representations before the district authorities about the same but in vain. It was his claim that the destruction of mangrove cover by companies for ro-ro service, shrimp culture, and salt production is in gross violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone norms laid down by the Centre.

Meanwhile, the court adjourned the further hearing of the matter till March 8 after the petitioner sought time to respond to the reply filed by the private company.

PETITIONER’S CLAIMS

Ajay Shiyal claimed that the destruction of mangrove cover by companies for ro-ro service, shrimp culture, and salt production is in gross violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone norms laid down by the Centre and that several industries had set up operations in Amreli