Ministry panel defers environmental clearance to Delhi's five-star hotel expansion project for violating norms

An expert panel of the ministry of environment has deferred the grant of clearance to a five-star hotel expansion project in the heart of the capital, saying it violated environmental norms.

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC), constituted by the ministry to look into projects for grant of environmental clearances (EC), noted that the popular hotel had enhanced its built up area without environmental clearance.

"The project had been granted environmental clearance for total built up area of 39,195 square metres by the ministry...in 2008. The total built up area has been enhanced up to 62,986 sqm without taking prior environmental clearance under Environment Impact Assessment Notification 2006," the committee said.

The over Rs 700-crore expansion project of Hotel Leela in south Delhi was appraised at central level as the state environment impact assessment authority (SEIAA) Delhi was not functional.

"After detailed deliberation on the information as presented", EAC deferred the proposal and asked the project proponent to "rework on damage assessment cost of all attributes, community resources augmentation and natural resources augmentation, addressing all environmental attributes.."