Colaba tower under scanner of eco ministry

The 31-storey Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society — housing top Army and naval commanders, as well as state bureaucrats and politicians — at Colaba may not have got the required environmental clearances. Union Minister of Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh has asked the state government to verify this.

The 31-storey Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society — housing top Army and naval commanders, as well as state bureaucrats and politicians — at Colaba may not have got the required environmental clearances. Union Minister of Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh has asked the state government to verify this.

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The society, built on a 6,490 sq mt plot in the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) 2, was cleared on the condition that it would be a six-storey structure. The building was also initially promoted as housing for war veterans and widows. The society however, denied this.

CRZ 2 norms put several restrictions on vertical development. The permission to build 31 storeys violated the norms that froze floor space index at 1.33 — that is, built-up area could not exceed 1.33 times the plot size.

“I have written to the state government on the issue,” Ramesh told Hindustan Times via email on Tuesday.

The letter, received by the state Environment Department, has asked for a report and timeline of the environmental clearances given to the society. State Environment Minister Suresh Shetty said the letter hadn’t reached his desk yet, but promised action if violations were found.

While society members said they got environmental clearances on March 11, 2003, Ramesh’s ministry denies it.