Petition filed seeking action against violating environment laws while constructing township
Picture for representational purpose
Chennai: A petition was filed in the southern bench of the national green tribunal on Friday, seeking action against a realtor on Old Mahabalipuram Road in Navalur village for violating environment laws while constructing a township.The petitioner, Shaila of Velachery, who purchased a flat in the mega project filed the petition against Olympia Infratech Pvt. Ltd., Guindy. Shaila submitted that the firm had floated the project, ‘Jade’ at Olympia Opaline in Navalur, Old Mahabalipuram Road.
At the time of marketing the flats, the firm had advertised that they had complied with all norms, including environmental laws, for constructing the multi-storeyed apartment complex. Hoping that the firm would abide by all the laws, she purchased a flat. More than 1,235 persons purchased flats in the complex.In the first phase, the developer constructed 10 towers. Now the company had commenced construction relating to the second phase, adjacent to the first one. She stated that the land was situated along the Buckingham canal, which comes under the purview of the Coastal Zone Regulation Notification 1991 and 2011.
Suppressing facts, the company obtained environmental clearance from the Union ministry of environment and forests for the first phase on February 18, 2009 and ECR Coastline Resorts LLP, a sister concern of Olympia Infratech, for the second phase on April 21, 2014, claiming that clearance from CRZ was not necessary for the projects.
Shaila said, “Both the projects were constructed up to the border of the Buckingham canal. The firm submitted manipulated documents to the authorities as though a road existed between the property and the canal. However, no such road exists in the place,” she said.
In the past, the Union ministry of environment and forest had turned down a request made by Tamil Nadu to exclude the canal from the purview of the CRZ. The firm ought to have obtained permission from CRZ authorities before executing a project in the CRZ area.
Government poromboke lands and water bodies were surrounded by the construction, and their ecological value affected severely, she said.
She prayed that the tribunal pass an interim order restraining the firm from constructing buildings in the place and pass suitable, appropriate orders for violating environmental laws.
( Source : p. arul )
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