Environmental hurdle for Vipul's Rs 250-crore Group Housing Project

Company asked to stop construction work.

In a setback to the Rs 250-crore group housing project of Vipul Ltd in the city, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) of the Orissa government has served a notice on the real estate player to stop work on the project for carrying out construction work without the requisite environmental clearance.

Vipul has been asked to furnish an explanation on the circumstances under which it is carrying out construction work on the project without taking prior environmental clearance from the SEIAA.

In a letter to Punit Beriwala, managing director, Vipul Ltd issued by Bhagirathi Behera, member secretary, SEIAA on July 23 this year, the company has been asked to stop construction work forthwith till a final decision on grant of environmental clearance is taken.

The real estate firm has been asked to provide an explanation in response to this notice within 15 days failing which action would be taken against the company.

Vipul has been proceeding on construction work on its group housing project spread over 10 acres of land at Shankarpur mouza on the outskirts of the city after getting the building plan approval of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) in April 2009.

An expert appraisal committee of the state environment department had found during its scrutiny that work on Vipul's project was going on without the environmental clearance in violation of the Environmental Protection Act. The committee had noted several irregularities in the construction work and pointed out that it can have a damaging effect on the environment.

The committee had found that there was a problem pertaining to supply of drinking water for the inhabitants at the project site and also the problem of rainwater drainage.

The company had clarified that the Central Ground Water Board has agreed to supply 150 kilo-litres of water per day for the 3000-odd inhabitants which the group housing project was to accommodate. However, the expert appraisal committee felt that this was not adequate for all the families.

The entire project consisting of 578 apartments in 10 towers was scheduled for commissioning within four years.

Vipul's group housing project would offer a mix of 2 BR (bedroom), 3 BR and 4 BR apartments which would be priced at Rs 31 lakh, Rs 37 lakh and Rs 45 lakh respectively.