Lavasa seeks 6-week extension to consider solution

Lavasa Corporation, the ambitious hill city project of Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), has sought additional time to resolve the deadlock with the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).

The corporation today said it had submitted the documents requested by the Ministry in their last order dated January 17, and has requested for a six-week extension to come up with a solution. As per the corporation, the request has been put forth after discussions with Jairam Ramesh, Minister of Environment and Forests.

The project has been under the scanner of the MoEF for violation of green norms, resulting in a show-cause notice to the corporation. The Ministry had then demanded an explanation as to why any structures in violation of the environment regulations should not be demolished.

Following this, the Ministry also sent an assessment team to the project site for inspection. As per the Bombay High Court's notice, the ministry was asked to take a call on the show-cause notice served on Lavasa by January 17.

Following the Lavasa Corporation's request today, all environment ministry decisions pertaining to the project stand deferred for at least another six weeks.