Lavasa gets environment ministry's nod

Lavasa's multi-crore hill city project near Pune today overcame the green hurdle with Union Environment Ministry granting clearance for its first phase subject to "strict compliance" of certain terms and conditions.

"The Ministry, hereby, accords environmental clearance for the project as per provisions of Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006 and its subsequent amendments, subject to strict compliance of terms and conditions," a government order said.

The Ministry's decision came after the Maharashtra government filed a case against the promoters of Lavasa Hill City for alleged violations of the Environment Protection Act (EPA).

Filing of the case under the EPA was one of the key pre-conditions of the Environment Ministry for granting clearance to the first phase of the project.

"We have now got environment clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the stakeholders will be happy to hear this," a relieved Ajit Gulabchand, Chairman, Lavasa Corporation, told PTI.

He said the decision would also reassure hundreds of villagers and workers engaged in the construction of the hill city project.

The ministry had laid down five pre-conditions, as suggested by the Expert Appraisal Committee, for Lavasa to comply with before grant of environment clearance.

These conditions include demarcation of land usage which includes open spaces, diverting five per cent of its expenses for corporate social responsibility, creation of an environment restoration fund, which in turn will be monitored by a verification and monitoring committee and a submission by the company that violations would not be repeated.