30.07.06:
VK malls: Expert panel okay with mall owners reply
New Delhi, July 29: THE Expert Committee of the
Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) today
expressed satisfaction at the replies filed by the
Vasant Kunj malls owners on information that had not
been included in the Environmental Impact assessment
on the project.
The committee had sought certain clarifications from
the owners and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA)
in their interim report submitted to the Supreme Court
on July 24...
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=194765
27.07.06
--- Gita Dewan Verma <mpisgplanner@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> VK malls: SC sets Aug 8 deadline for forest ministry
> report
>
> Petitioners oppose expert panel's damage-control
> stance, seek stay on constructions in Army area
>
>
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=194475
>
>
> yesterday:
> --- Gita Dewan Verma <mpisgplanner@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > TOI & HT reports about MoEF affidavit.
> >
> > As per HT it is about army constructions. As per
> TOI
> > it is about what the expert committee said about
> > Malls. As per MOEF web, the expert-committee has
> to
> > meet about the malls on 28-29.07.06
> >
>
http://164.100.194.13/allied_envclr/htmls/ncp_agenda%5Cagenda1.htm
> > Looks like one of these eminences just had to go
> (no
> > prizes for guessing which one that might have been
> > :)
> >
>
http://164.100.194.13/allied_envclr/htmls/DisplayComposition.asp?code=NCP
> > btw, this expert-committee looks eminently
> > assailable
> > in court. yummy food for thought.
> >
> > =====
> >
> > 26.07.06: TOI;p.4
> > Green Signal to VK malls likely
> >
> > But Only After Certain Modifications In Plans
> >
> > Dhananjay Mahapatra | TNN
> >
> > New Delhi: The under-construction shopping malls
> and
> > corporate offices in the Vasant Kunj area,
> > cumulatively worth over 1,000 crore and allegedly
> > cleared without the mandatory environmental impact
> > assessment (EIA), may get the nod after certain
> > modifications to their construction plans.
> > The Supreme Court had stayed the construction at
> > these
> > project sites following allegations that the
> > projects
> > had been cleared without EIA clearance as
> envisaged
> > in
> > the July 7, 2004 notification of the Centre.
> > Further, it was alleged that these constructions
> > posed
> > a grave threat to the Ridge, the lung of Delhi
> where
> > concrete jungles have been spreading due to
> pressure
> > on housing.
> > The court had asked the ministry of environment
> and
> > forest to examine the matter and report back. The
> > expert committee of the ministry held inquiries
> and
> > meetings with the project contractors and found
> that
> > all, except ONGC, had started construction at the
> > sites.
> > The ministry, informing the court about this
> through
> > an affidavit filed by advocate AND Rao, stated
> that
> > there was little that could be done in these cases
> > except taking damage control measures.
> > �Except ONGC, all other proponents have already
> > commenced construction in violation of the July 7,
> > 2004, notification. Therefore, at this stage only
> > damage control is possible by effective
> > environmental
> > management plan measures and systematic
> solutions,�
> > the affidavit said, reflecting the views of the
> > expert
> > committee.
> > It suggested to the ministry to consider imposing
> > penalty on the project owners for commencing
> > construction work before obtaining environmental
> > clearance. It also said that the ministry could
> > consider proposals for regeneration of a forest
> and
> > biodiversity park in the area.
> > However, the committee did put the blame on Delhi
> > Development Authority (DDA) for not coming out
> with
> > a
> > cumulative impact assessment and corresponding
> > management/mitigation measures.
> > It was of the unanimous view that the biodiversity
> > park, adjacent to these huge projects, should be
> > conserved and protected at all costs as it noticed
> > several lacunae relating to water, traffic and
> power
> > management plans for the projects.
> > Of the seven projects, three are shopping malls
> and
> > four are corporate offices. The project owners are
> > Maruti Udyog Ltd, Ambience Developers Pvt Ltd,
> > Regency
> > Park Management Ltd, Beverly Project Pvt Ltd,
> > Jasmine
> > Project Pvt Ltd and ONGC and ONGC Videsh Ltd.
> > During the public hearing, many questions were
> > raised
> > on thr ole of the Delhi Development Authority and
> > Delhi Jal Board (DJB). Giving an example, the
> > committee said that there was no guarantee of
> water
> > supply to the project, though DDA said that DJB
> > would
> > supply the water.
> > Mentioning several shortcomings in the sanction of
> > plans, the committee was of the view that plots
> no.6
> > and 7 of the Vasant Kunj Shopping Mall site should
> > not
> > be auctioned by DDA till systemic solutions were
> in
> > place.
> >
> > 26.07.06: HT: p2
> > �MoD building illegally in VK Ridge area�
> >
> > THE DEFENCE Ministry is engaged in construction
> > activities in the eco-fragile Vasant Kunj Ridge
> area
> > of South Delhi in violation of environmental
> norms,
> > the Environment and Forests Ministry has told the
> > Supreme Court.
> > In an affidavit filed in the court, the
> Environment
> > and Forests Ministry said that Defence Min istry
> was
> > constructing three buildings in the Vasant Kunj
> > Ridge
> > area which attracted the provisions of Environment
> > Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification (as amended
> on
> > July 7, 2004).
> > "Even though, they (Defence Ministry) have
> requested
> > that the defence construction projects may be
> > treated
> > as separate entities and not as any other
> > residential/office projects, it is submitted that
> > the
> > constructions were taken up after July 7, 2004 in
> > contravention of the provisions of the EIA
> > notification," the Environment and Forests
> Ministry
> > said.
> > The Defence Ministry projects under construction
> in
> > the Ridge are - married accommodation for 190
> > officers
> > (Basant Range), married accommodation for 700
> other
> > ranks (Shankar Vihar-II) and married accommodation
> > for
> > 705 JCOs/other ranks (Mahipalpur).
> > The affidavit, filed in response to a petition by
> > Ridge Bachao Andolan, alleged that DDA and other
> > agencies were allowing construction in the area in
> > violation of the EIA notification. The court is
> > likely
> > to consider the affidavit on Wednesday.
> > The court had on May 1 stayed the construction of
> > five
> > shopping mall projects worth Rs 1,290 crore in the
> > eco-fragile area.
> >
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