Lavasa expresses shock at Environment Ministry's notice

Pune-based Lavasa Corporation, a subsidiary of HCC, on Saturday expressed shock over the Environment Ministry's showcause notice to it for allegedly carrying out construction activities without approval.

Pune-based Lavasa Corporation, a subsidiary of HCC, on Saturday expressed shock over the Environment Ministry's showcause notice to it for allegedly carrying out construction activities without approval.

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"Lavasa Corporation Ltd is shocked at the receipt of a 'stop work' notice from the Ministry of External Affairs on November 26," a spokesperson from the company said in a statement.

Lavasa, engaged in the building and management of a hill-city near Pune, also said it has already responded to issues raised by the Environment Ministry.

"In an earlier communication to the government of Maharashtra, issues raised by the MoEF had already been responded to," the spokesperson said.

The MoEF had on November 25 slapped a showcause notice on Lavasa, a unit of Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), for carrying out construction activities without its approval in 25,000 hectares.

The ministry has given 15 days to the company, asking as to why the unauthorised structures erected by it, without any environmental clearance, between March 2003 and September 2006 in Mulshi and Velhe Talukas in Pune should not be demolished in their entirety.

The constructions, it said, were in violation of the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006.

The notice has also asked the project proponent not to carry out any construction and development activities till its reply in the matter.

Besides, the Corporation has been asked to give the details of the project, clearances obtained, status of the project with photographs/satellite and Google maps indicating the constructions as on 18 March and 7 July 2004 and 14 June 2006.