Ministry submits panel’s report on Lavasa to high court

The environment ministry has submitted an expert appraisal committee’s report to the Bombay high court for a final decision on the Lavasa Corporation’s first phase of the hill city project.

The environment ministry has submitted an expert appraisal committee’s report to the Bombay high court for a final decision on the Lavasa Corporation’s first phase of the hill city project.

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“Lavasa [the case] is coming up in the Bombay high court on Friday, March 25,” environment minister Jairam Ramesh said when asked about the fate of phase 1 of Lavasa’s Rs 3,000-crore hill city project.

An expert appraisal committee has considered the application for phase 1, which involves 2,000 hectares, Ramesh added.

The minister said the committee had made certain recommendations, which the ministry has accepted, and those are being presented in the high court on March 25.

Lavasa had applied afresh for environmental clearance for the first phase in February after the environment ministry had held that the controversial project was “unauthorised” and had directed Lavasa Corporation Limited to maintain the status quo at the construction site.