Green norms: UT warns of action against violators

Chandigarh, July 27

Close on the heels of the cancellation of occupation certificates of two commercial complexes, the UT Administration has started the process to identify other commercial and residential complexes that have violated the conditions of environmental clearance.

On July 25, the UT Estate Office had cancelled the occupation certificates (OCs) of Godrej Eternia and Berkeley Square, two commercial complexes in Industrial Area, Phase I, for violating conditions of environmental clearance. The OCs of the two complexes were revoked as they had violated the conditions regarding obtaining permission from the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife. Under environmental clearance, the major condition regarding wildlife clearance was not fulfilled.

According to officials of the Department of Environment, the process had been started to scrutinise the documents of all major projects to check whether they had fulfilled the conditions of the environment clearance. A meeting in this regard would be held on Monday and then notices issued to the violators, added the officials.

Similar action would be initiated if any commercial or residential building was found violating the norms of the environmental clearance, said Deputy Commissioner-cum-Estate Office Vinay Pratap Singh.

Meanwhile, the owners stated that Godrej Eternia was converted from an industrial unit into a commercial building as per policy of conversion allowed by the UT Administration and all clearances were taken. A team from the Ministry of Environment and Forest had visited the complex on July 24 to carry out a survey, but the final report was yet to be received, they added.

In a recent meeting, the Supreme Court (SC)-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) had directed the Chandigarh Administration to take action against the two projects for operating without wildlife clearance.