Environment min gives clearance to Lavasa

The environment and forest ministry has given its clearance nod to HCC's long-pending Lavasa project. Further, sources tell CNBC-TV18's Bahar Dutt that all conditions have been met by the Lavasa project proponent and the five-page document (which spells out the conditions that have been imposed on Lavasa) will be put up on the government website soon.

Earlier, the Prithviraj Chavan government in Maharashtra had filed a criminal complaint against Lavasa Corporation and its promoters for alleged violations of the Environment Protection Act. It went on to say that the Centre's probe had found violation of some environmental norms in Lavasa project. The state government named six officers and all nine directors of Lavasa including Ajit Gulabchand and Annirudha Deshpande in the case. However, now Maharashtra's CM Chavan backs the project saying that the approval was given according to the Hill Station Development Policy (Maharashtra). Further, he said that the project would be cleared under law if Lavasa abides by other norms (including the one that says no construction to take place on water bodies or forest land). "There is no harm in giving conditional nod to Lavasa's phase-1 project," Chavan added. The consent of establishment shall be obtained from the Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB). And, a copy of that consent would be given to the ministry before construction begins. "Further development would be undertaken after examining environmental issues," Chavan said adding that Lavasa would need to submit policy or plan of action to the ministry within three months.