Environment ministry to hear Lavasa tomorrow

The environment ministry will on Thursday hear Lavasa Corporation's views on the 'stop work' orders issued to its Lake City project near Pune for violating green laws, officials said today.

The environment ministry will on Thursday hear Lavasa Corporation's views on the 'stop work' orders issued to its Lake City project near Pune for violating green laws, officials said Wednesday.

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Ordering an interim stay on the environment ministry's order, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked the ministry to hear Hindustan Construction Company's subsidiary Lavasa Corporation Ltd. Dec 9.

"In pursuance of the Bombay high court order, it is proposed to hear Lavasa on Dec 9 (Thursday) at 3 pm in the ministry. You may appear in person or through your representatives," said the ministry's letter to Lavasa.

The environment ministry on Nov 25 slapped a show-cause notice on Lavasa Corporation because it had allegedly failed to secure necessary environmental clearance before starting work on its 5,000-plus hectare Lake City project coming up in Mulshi sub-district of Pune, around 200 km from Mumbai.

The central government also ordered a stop to construction work at the site till the Lavasa Coproration replied to the show-cause notice.

The court has asked the ministry to give its reply by Dec 16.