Lavasa agrees to patch up, will accept green riders

Firm ready to accept the five preconditions specified by environment ministry.

Lavasa Corporation, whose hill city project near Pune has been put on hold for failing to get green clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), is in a patch-up mode with the ministry.

After a long legal battle, Lavasa Construction Ltd, the project proponents of Lavasa, has agreed to accept the five ‘preconditions’ specified by the MoEF, over which the clearance was stuck. The Board of Lavasa Construction Ltd had met recently and passed a resolution stating they were ready to accept all the riders imposed by the ministry. In the next court hearing, the company will reiterate its stand.

When contacted, the company spokesperson confirmed the development, saying “the board has agreed to accept the preconditions proposed by the ministry.”

The company has submitted the resolution with the ministry, which is examining it.

Lavasa Corporation had submitted a proposal seeking environmental clearance on February 2 for 2,000 hectares of land for the first phase of the hill city project.

The proposal was appraised by the Expert Appraisal Committee at its various meetings and the panel recommended the proposal with certain conditions. MoEF had informed Lavasa Corporation about the five conditions necessary for getting the environmental clearance.

The conditions included ‘a credible action’ by the Maharashtra government against Lavasa for violations under the Environment (Protection) Act, a resolution from the board of directors of Lavasa that violations would not be repeated, an undertaking that development of the hill town (also called Lavasa) shall be as per Hill Station Regulations and a clear demarcation of ‘no development/construction zone’.

On November 25, 2010, the ministry had issued Lavasa a show cause notice under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986 and final directions on January 17 this year.

Lavasa Corporation Ltd has filed writ petitions in the Bombay High Court challenging the show cause notice and final directions. The developer had earlier said the preconditions imposed by MoEF was unacceptable to it.

On June 27, the ministry had sent a letter to Lavasa stating it should first comply with the five preconditions recommended by the Experts Appraisal Committee after which the ministry would consider giving the realty firm environment clearance for construction of the sprawling township.