MOEF order more on jurisdiction than environment issues: Lavasa

Reacting to Environment Ministry order that no further construction should be undertaken at its site near Pune for allegedly violating green norms, Lavasa Corporation Limited today said a "quick review" of the order indicated the Ministry's decision was "more on jurisdiction than on environment issues".

"MoEF order states that Maharashtra state government does not have authority for giving the 2001 and 2004 clearances. It also challenges Maharashtra government?s Hill Stations policy of 1996 saying it should be reviewed. This clearly indicates that the key issue is over jurisdiction between the state and central government and not one of environment," Lavasa said in a statement.

"The state government has given environmental clearance for 2000 hectares in the year 2004. In August 2009, Lavasa applied to MoEF for environmental clearance under their 2006 Notification for project expansion of 3000 hectares. In spite of submitting all the relevant documents, MoEF is yet to give environment clearance. The MoEF order is conveniently silent on their delay of 18 months in granting their clearance," it said.

The company alleged the villagers supporting Lavasa were more than 1000 in number whereas those supporting environmentalist Medha Patkar were a mere dozen.

"Yet, the committee gives disproportionately more space to highlighting issues of Medha Patkar supporters," it said.

Lavasa contended "no weightage or consideration" had been given to the "huge body of data submitted" by it on environment protetion and enhancement initiatives.

The company suggested a technical team of the Ministry that had inspected the site had misrepresented the "state of affairs" by "amplifying minor faults and ignoring the environmental work done" which was "bound to have a negative bearing on the decision of the competent authority".

The Ministry's team, headed by Naresh Dayal, had undertaken a visit to the site from January 5 and said no large-scale destruction of forest had taken place there.

Lavasa said the entire process of restoration and enhancement of the ecology of the place, which was substantially denuded to begin with, was presented to the committee and even demonstrated at site.

"It has neither been acknowledged nor appreciated anywhere in the report. Wherever it does find mention, it is shown as a mere submission by Lavasa," it added.