MoEF to submit Lavasa affidavit, order to HC

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) today told the Bombay High Court that it would submit its affidavit and a copy of its order on the controversial Lavasa housing project near Pune, which allegedly violated green norms.

Additional Solicitor General Darius Khambata, appearing for the Ministry, told a division bench of justices V C Daga and Rajesh Ketkar that the Ministry would be submitting its affidavit and order to the court registrar later in the day.

Khambata said the matter would be heard on January 27.

The High Court had on December 22 last year directed the Environment Ministry to take a final decision on its show-cause notice to Lavasa Corporation (LC), the promoter of the project at the hill station (Lonavala).

According to reports, the Environment Ministry has pointed to "grave violations" in the Lavasa project and is mulling strong action against it.

The Ministry had served notice to Lavasa Corporation on November 25, 2010 as to why it did not obtain environmental clearances as per notifications issued under the Environment Protection Act before commencing the project in 2004.

LC, a subsidiary of Hindustan Construction Company, challenged the notice before the High Court. The Corporation has claimed that it is a tourism project and was based on the state hill tourism policy, formulated by the Maharashtra government, allowing the Rs 2,000-crore project to come up.