Environment report for redevelopment project copy-pasted, expert tells HC

Several portions of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report which cleared the redevelopment of a residential project here was copy-pasted from an EIA report seeking clearance for a Tamil Nadu mine, an expert told the Delhi High Court on Friday.

Gautam Bhan, an urban planning expert and amicus curiae, told a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V. Kameswar Rao that the environment report for the Nauroji Nagar project contained several portions that were copy-pasted from the report seeking clearance for a mine in Tamil Nadu as the names of the state's lakes were mentioned in the Nauroji Nagar report.

Bhan said that the environment clearance was given for a separate project in Nauroji Nagar although the entire redevelopment project involving seven colonies was integrated.

Bhan said that it clearly showed "non-application of mind" by the environment department.

However, the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) said that these were typographical errors.

The court asked the central government why the redevelopment projects should be allowed as the environment clearance was wrongly granted and rejected the plea for directions to allow commencement of work by the NBCC.

The court listed the matter for August 30.

The court was hearing several pleas, including one filed by orthopaedic surgeon Kaushal Kant Mishra, who challenged the permission granted to cut thousands of trees for the residential redevelopment project.

The court also sought the response of the Delhi government and the Central Public Works Department.

The seven south Delhi colonies where trees were to be cut are Sarojini Nagar, Nauroji Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Thyagaraja Nagar, Mohammadpur and Kasturba Nagar and Srinivaspuri.

Besides the NBCC, the Central Public Works Department is executing the project.

--IANS

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