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Adarsh did not seek green nod

Now, state environment department also says that the Colaba society flouted norms.

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The state environment department has stated that Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society in Colaba never applied for environmental clearance. A 2002 amendment in the Environment Act made it compulsory for all the high-rises to take a green nod. The society was formed in 2003.

The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) held a meeting at Mantralaya on Wednesday to discuss the environmental issues pertaining to Adarsh society.

The society also made a written representation before the committee and maintained that all permissions were given by the urban development department and the civic body. It also has claimed that since the society came into existence in 2003, the state government had no purview to give environmental permissions.

However, officials from the environment department said that the amendment brought into the Act in 2002 mandates that all high-rises seek a green approval.

“It’s an established fact that the society never approached us for environmental clearance. We have sent our interim report to the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) last week and the final report will be submitted by next week,” an official said.

The state environment department thereafter demanded files related to the society form the urban development department. The official said that the urban development permissions given to the society were based on the correspondence of the society with the MoEF.

“The urban development department, considering this correspondence as approval, referred the file to the civic authority. The MMRDA also issued the occupation certificate on that basis,” the official added. MCZMA, however, clarified that the land was never classified as CRZ I category, as has been claimed.

BMC chief Swadhin Kshatriya on Wednesday said the civic body will seek information about the irregularities in the building. The occupation certificate of the society, granted by the MMRDA, was revoked after criticism. But the MMRDA has now claimed all permissions were given by the civic body. The BMC has cut the water supply of the building.

CM welcomes CBI probe
Chief minister Ashok Chavan on Wednesday said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started the enquiry because the defence is a party in the Adarsh society land. “We have welcomed the probe by the CBI and it has a right to enquire into any scam without the permission of the state. I think since the defence is reportedly related to the land, the central agency has been asked to be probe the issue,” he said.

(With inputs from Pandurang Mhaske)

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