NEW DELHI: It is strange and surprising that the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority in Punjab has proceeded with a group housing project without obtaining Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate, which are the requirements of law, the National Green Tribunal has said. The green body directed the chief administrative officer of GMADA, to take action against the officers responsible for such “gross violations of law.”
The NGT was hearing a matter regarding the authority allegedly committing violations of the environmental clearance (EC) conditions in its housing project, Purab Premium Apartments in Mohali.
In an order passed on Wednesday, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said that a panel formed earlier had submitted its report to the tribunal mentioning several violations.
These included non-installation of an STP, the project not obtaining mandatory consents, and non-renewal of the EC which expired in February 2020, said the bench also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel.
“Respondent No. 1 (GMADA) is bound by law and cannot treat itself above the provisions of law. It is strange and surprising that Respondent No. 1 which is a statutory authority has proceeded with the project even without obtaining Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate, which are the requirements of law,” the tribunal said.
It directed the Chief Administrative Officer of GMADA to “conduct an inquiry and find out the officers who were responsible for such gross violations of law and take action against them within three months and submit an action taken report.”
The tribunal noted that the Punjab Pollution Control Board had filed its report mentioning that Rs 1.02 crore environmental compensation had been imposed and deposited by GMADA for committing violations between August 2022 and March 2023.
It, however, asked the board to assess and impose the compensation for violations before and after this period.
