National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders Goel Ganga builder to pay Rs 190 crore for violating green norms

PUNE: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) western zone bench here on Monday increased the fine on Goel Ganga Developers India Private Limited, from Rs 105 crore to Rs 190 crores while hearing a revision petition.

Last year in September, the NGT had ordered builder to pay an environmental compensation cost of Rs 100 crore or 5% of the total cost of the project, whichever is less, for flouting environment clearance (EC) conditions relating to an integrated housing project at Vadgaon Budruk off Sinhagad road. The bench had also directed the developer, Goel Ganga Developers India Private Limited, to pay another Rs 5 crore for contravening several environmental laws.

The developer had constructed 18 multi-storied buildings having 807 flats as against the EC that was granted on April 4, 2008 for only 12 buildings with 552 flats as part of the integrated project, `Ganga Bhagyoday’, `Ganga Bhagyoday Towers’ and `Amrut Ganga’.

The EC was for a total plot area of 79,100 sq metres and total built up area of 57,658.42 sq metres. However, according to an observation made by the bench, the actual total built up area was in excess of one lakh sq metres, which could not have been done without a modified EC.

The builder had filed a revision petition against the NGT order, following which the NGT on Monday increased the fine to Rs 190 crores.

Goel Ganga group managing director Atul Goel said, “We are in disagreement with the view taken by NGT. We have always carried out construction in all our projects in accordance with law and permission granted to us, time to time and built our reputation on the same. In this case also we have obtained our EC in 2008 before starting the work and also have obtained the revised EC in 2017 itself.The work going on the site is as per the permissions received from PMC and Environment Department.

NGT while deciding our case have referred to issues like definition of built up area and implication of carbon foot print. This issues are not pertaining to only our projects but has larger connotations effecting construction projects of the whole country. Hence on 7th July, 2017 Ministry of Environment and Forest Department, Government of India had to interfere clarifying the built up issue raised in our previous order dtd. 27th Sept., 2016. We feel the issue of carbon foot print raised in the order dtd. 8thJanuary, 2018 requires clarity in law and we alone can not be hold responsible for violation due to carbon foot print. We will take recourse to the remedy available in the law and fight the battle initiated by a person who has one point agenda of harassing us. We are confident that our plea will be heard by the Judiciary and we will come out absolutely clean in the same.”