NGT directs Mumbai's Resilience Realty to payRs 1 crore for green rules violation

The National Green Tribunal has directed a developer to deposit Rs 1 crore as "interim cost of damage to the environment" for violating rules during construction of a luxury residential project in MIG Colony in Bandra (E). The project is RustomjeeOriana, being developed by Resilience Realty Pvt Ltd. The tribunal held that environmental clearances given for two additional floors, comprising 16 flats-each sold for Rs 6 crore, were not given according to procedures. The tribunal held that "the relevant factors, including the carrying capacity of the area, having regard to the impact of expansion on the environment, specifically water and air quality have not been examined by the State Expert Appraisal Committee". The developer Rustomjee said they are "exercising legal remedies available in accordance with law". The NGT's principal bench at Delhi, comprising Justice AdarshGoel, Justice K Ramakrishnan and expert member Dr Nagin Nanda, further set up a five-member committee "to carry out carrying capacity study of the area for relevant environment parameters and impact of such expansion on already congested and stressed areas". The panel has been asked to suggest the amount which should be recovered from the developer for the violation as well as "remedial measures including action against violators of law who complete projects in violation of mandatory provisions making the situation irreversible, parameters for appraisal of such projects even if such projects are within FSI when cities are already highly congested with no sufficient space for traffic and open areas and the cost of restoration of environment".