In a landmark judgement, the Gujarat High Court on Wednesday stayed all activities in the Adani Group’s Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone (MPSEZ) till they get the environment clearance from the Centre. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J.B.Pardiwala upheld a petition by people of the villages affected by the 18,000-acre Mundra Port and SEZ in Kutch district and ruled that the all construction and other activities should stop until the clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). With this stay order, ongoing work in about 300 units in the Special Economic Zone would come to a halt till the entire project gets the environment clearance from the Union Ministry. The people of 14 villages affected by the project have alleged that the upcoming Special Economic Zone has blocked rivulets, chocked fishing jetties, destroyed mangroves and caused irreparable damage to the environment of the area. The villagers had petitioned the local authorities several times but they refused to act. Thereafter, they had moved the High Court, which granted the stay.