TOI & HT reports about MoEF affidavit.
As per HT it is about army constructions. As per TOI
it is about what the expert committee said about
Malls. As per MOEF web, the expert-committee has to
meet about the malls on 28-29.07.06
http://164.100.194.13/allied_envclr/htmls/ncp_agenda%5Cagenda1.htm
Looks like one of these eminences just had to go (no
prizes for guessing which one that might have been :)
http://164.100.194.13/allied_envclr/htmls/DisplayComposition.asp?code=NCP
btw, this expert-committee looks eminently assailable
in court. yummy food for thought.
=====
26.07.06: TOI;p.4
Green Signal to VK malls likely
But Only After Certain Modifications In Plans
Dhananjay Mahapatra | TNN
New Delhi: The under-construction shopping malls and
corporate offices in the Vasant Kunj area,
cumulatively worth over 1,000 crore and allegedly
cleared without the mandatory environmental impact
assessment (EIA), may get the nod after certain
modifications to their construction plans.
The Supreme Court had stayed the construction at these
project sites following allegations that the projects
had been cleared without EIA clearance as envisaged in
the July 7, 2004 notification of the Centre.
Further, it was alleged that these constructions posed
a grave threat to the Ridge, the lung of Delhi where
concrete jungles have been spreading due to pressure
on housing.
The court had asked the ministry of environment and
forest to examine the matter and report back. The
expert committee of the ministry held inquiries and
meetings with the project contractors and found that
all, except ONGC, had started construction at the
sites.
The ministry, informing the court about this through
an affidavit filed by advocate AND Rao, stated that
there was little that could be done in these cases
except taking damage control measures.
?Except ONGC, all other proponents have already
commenced construction in violation of the July 7,
2004, notification. Therefore, at this stage only
damage control is possible by effective environmental
management plan measures and systematic solutions,?
the affidavit said, reflecting the views of the expert
committee.
It suggested to the ministry to consider imposing
penalty on the project owners for commencing
construction work before obtaining environmental
clearance. It also said that the ministry could
consider proposals for regeneration of a forest and
biodiversity park in the area.
However, the committee did put the blame on Delhi
Development Authority (DDA) for not coming out with a
cumulative impact assessment and corresponding
management/mitigation measures.
It was of the unanimous view that the biodiversity
park, adjacent to these huge projects, should be
conserved and protected at all costs as it noticed
several lacunae relating to water, traffic and power
management plans for the projects.
Of the seven projects, three are shopping malls and
four are corporate offices. The project owners are
Maruti Udyog Ltd, Ambience Developers Pvt Ltd, Regency
Park Management Ltd, Beverly Project Pvt Ltd, Jasmine
Project Pvt Ltd and ONGC and ONGC Videsh Ltd.
During the public hearing, many questions were raised
on thr ole of the Delhi Development Authority and
Delhi Jal Board (DJB). Giving an example, the
committee said that there was no guarantee of water
supply to the project, though DDA said that DJB would
supply the water.
Mentioning several shortcomings in the sanction of
plans, the committee was of the view that plots no.6
and 7 of the Vasant Kunj Shopping Mall site should not
be auctioned by DDA till systemic solutions were in
place.
26.07.06: HT: p2
?MoD building illegally in VK Ridge area?
THE DEFENCE Ministry is engaged in construction
activities in the eco-fragile Vasant Kunj Ridge area
of South Delhi in violation of environmental norms,
the Environment and Forests Ministry has told the
Supreme Court.
In an affidavit filed in the court, the Environment
and Forests Ministry said that Defence Min istry was
constructing three buildings in the Vasant Kunj Ridge
area which attracted the provisions of Environment
Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification (as amended on
July 7, 2004).
"Even though, they (Defence Ministry) have requested
that the defence construction projects may be treated
as separate entities and not as any other
residential/office projects, it is submitted that the
constructions were taken up after July 7, 2004 in
contravention of the provisions of the EIA
notification," the Environment and Forests Ministry
said.
The Defence Ministry projects under construction in
the Ridge are - married accommodation for 190 officers
(Basant Range), married accommodation for 700 other
ranks (Shankar Vihar-II) and married accommodation for
705 JCOs/other ranks (Mahipalpur).
The affidavit, filed in response to a petition by
Ridge Bachao Andolan, alleged that DDA and other
agencies were allowing construction in the area in
violation of the EIA notification. The court is likely
to consider the affidavit on Wednesday.
The court had on May 1 stayed the construction of five
shopping mall projects worth Rs 1,290 crore in the
eco-fragile area.
__________________________________________________
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As per HT it is about army constructions. As per TOI
it is about what the expert committee said about
Malls. As per MOEF web, the expert-committee has to
meet about the malls on 28-29.07.06
http://164.100.194.13/allied_envclr/htmls/ncp_agenda%5Cagenda1.htm
Looks like one of these eminences just had to go (no
prizes for guessing which one that might have been :)
http://164.100.194.13/allied_envclr/htmls/DisplayComposition.asp?code=NCP
btw, this expert-committee looks eminently assailable
in court. yummy food for thought.
=====
26.07.06: TOI;p.4
Green Signal to VK malls likely
But Only After Certain Modifications In Plans
Dhananjay Mahapatra | TNN
New Delhi: The under-construction shopping malls and
corporate offices in the Vasant Kunj area,
cumulatively worth over 1,000 crore and allegedly
cleared without the mandatory environmental impact
assessment (EIA), may get the nod after certain
modifications to their construction plans.
The Supreme Court had stayed the construction at these
project sites following allegations that the projects
had been cleared without EIA clearance as envisaged in
the July 7, 2004 notification of the Centre.
Further, it was alleged that these constructions posed
a grave threat to the Ridge, the lung of Delhi where
concrete jungles have been spreading due to pressure
on housing.
The court had asked the ministry of environment and
forest to examine the matter and report back. The
expert committee of the ministry held inquiries and
meetings with the project contractors and found that
all, except ONGC, had started construction at the
sites.
The ministry, informing the court about this through
an affidavit filed by advocate AND Rao, stated that
there was little that could be done in these cases
except taking damage control measures.
?Except ONGC, all other proponents have already
commenced construction in violation of the July 7,
2004, notification. Therefore, at this stage only
damage control is possible by effective environmental
management plan measures and systematic solutions,?
the affidavit said, reflecting the views of the expert
committee.
It suggested to the ministry to consider imposing
penalty on the project owners for commencing
construction work before obtaining environmental
clearance. It also said that the ministry could
consider proposals for regeneration of a forest and
biodiversity park in the area.
However, the committee did put the blame on Delhi
Development Authority (DDA) for not coming out with a
cumulative impact assessment and corresponding
management/mitigation measures.
It was of the unanimous view that the biodiversity
park, adjacent to these huge projects, should be
conserved and protected at all costs as it noticed
several lacunae relating to water, traffic and power
management plans for the projects.
Of the seven projects, three are shopping malls and
four are corporate offices. The project owners are
Maruti Udyog Ltd, Ambience Developers Pvt Ltd, Regency
Park Management Ltd, Beverly Project Pvt Ltd, Jasmine
Project Pvt Ltd and ONGC and ONGC Videsh Ltd.
During the public hearing, many questions were raised
on thr ole of the Delhi Development Authority and
Delhi Jal Board (DJB). Giving an example, the
committee said that there was no guarantee of water
supply to the project, though DDA said that DJB would
supply the water.
Mentioning several shortcomings in the sanction of
plans, the committee was of the view that plots no.6
and 7 of the Vasant Kunj Shopping Mall site should not
be auctioned by DDA till systemic solutions were in
place.
26.07.06: HT: p2
?MoD building illegally in VK Ridge area?
THE DEFENCE Ministry is engaged in construction
activities in the eco-fragile Vasant Kunj Ridge area
of South Delhi in violation of environmental norms,
the Environment and Forests Ministry has told the
Supreme Court.
In an affidavit filed in the court, the Environment
and Forests Ministry said that Defence Min istry was
constructing three buildings in the Vasant Kunj Ridge
area which attracted the provisions of Environment
Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification (as amended on
July 7, 2004).
"Even though, they (Defence Ministry) have requested
that the defence construction projects may be treated
as separate entities and not as any other
residential/office projects, it is submitted that the
constructions were taken up after July 7, 2004 in
contravention of the provisions of the EIA
notification," the Environment and Forests Ministry
said.
The Defence Ministry projects under construction in
the Ridge are - married accommodation for 190 officers
(Basant Range), married accommodation for 700 other
ranks (Shankar Vihar-II) and married accommodation for
705 JCOs/other ranks (Mahipalpur).
The affidavit, filed in response to a petition by
Ridge Bachao Andolan, alleged that DDA and other
agencies were allowing construction in the area in
violation of the EIA notification. The court is likely
to consider the affidavit on Wednesday.
The court had on May 1 stayed the construction of five
shopping mall projects worth Rs 1,290 crore in the
eco-fragile area.
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com