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Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding housing projects in Haryana, 01/10/2020

  • 01/10/2020

Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Mukund Dhote Vs Union of India & Others dated 01/10/2020. The matter related to the housing project 'Vesta Heights', village Baselwa, Sector-86, Faridabad, Haryana violating conditions of Environmental Clearance and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. Consent to Operate under the Water Act 1974 expired in March 2018. The sewage treatment plant was not adequate and overflow was being discharged into the Agra Canal.

The report of the joint Committee comprising the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) assessed compensation of Rs. 12,02,80,310 (Twelve Crore Two Lakhs Eighty Thousand Three Hundred Ten Rupees).

The NGT expressed its dissatisfaction with the report and said that the report does not show adequate action for compliance of environmental norms. The amount of compensation has not yet been recovered nor coercive measures taken – not even order of blacklisting, even though the State PCB had written to the Director, Town and Country Planning Department, Haryana, the NGT order of October 1, 2020 said.

The NGT directed that a meeting of concerned statutory authorities be held within a month - to be monitored by the Chief Secretary, Haryana. The court stressed that this step had become necessary in view of "repeated serious violations of the environmental norms by the Housing Projects in the State of Haryana."