hiruvananthapuram : The Chennai-based KGS Group has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against cancellation of environment clearance to its international airport project at Aranmula in central Kerala by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

In their petition, the promoter of India’s first private Greenfield international airport has prayed for a stay on the order issued by the South Indian bench of the NGT. The firm has pointed out several errors in the NGT order which directed it to stop construction work at the site.

The petition said the ministry of environment and forest had granted environmental clearance to the Rs.3000-crore project after all required environmental impact studies. The tribunal did not consider these while quashing the environment clearance, the petition said.

Former Solicitor General of India Mohan Parasaran will appear for the petitioner. The NGT had quashed the environment clearance on a petition by the Aranmula Heritage Village Protection Action Council which opposed the project, contending that it would cause damage to environment. The tribunal observed that consultant – Enviro Care India Private Ltd, Madurai, was not competent to prepare Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) or to appear before the Environment Assessment Committee of MoEF.