Kochi: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) on Friday filed an affidavit before Kerala High Court stating that DLF Universal Limited had followed the conditions stipulated by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). They have not violated any of the provisions while constructing the building on the banks of Chilavannoor backwater.
According to the centre, the constructions were made as per the provisions of the CRZ notification, 1991 and EIA notification, 2006. The court had earlier asked the DLF to demolish the building allegedly in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notifications. However, the Division Bench of HC had stayed the order to demolish the building.
The sub-committee constituted by Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA) visited the site on October 29, 2009 and filed a report. Considering the report, KCZMA decided to recommend the project proposal to MoEF.
The contention of the sub-committee is that the controversial narrow canal is only a drainage canal which need not be considered as a canal. Based on the recommendations of the KCZMA, the SEIAA, Kerala, considered the project in its 24th meeting held on November 22, 2014 .
It decided that since the project comes under category B, 8 (a) of Schedule EIA notification, the SEIAA had accorded integrated CRZ-cum-environmental clearance for the construction of a multi-storied residential building of DLF Riverside Housing Project with certain conditions, the affidavit stated. The Union government filed an affidavit on an appeal filed by the DLF seeking to set aside the Single Judge's order.
