The committee has said that Lavasa needs to rework the planning and development of the entire project, including the environment impact assessment. It will have to submit a revised proposal. The recommendations have been accepted by the ministry. The Lavasa case comes up for hearing in the Bombay High Court on Friday.
"The EAC has made certain recommendations, which we have accepted. And that is being presented in the court on March 25," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said. The expert appraisal committee has examined the the application for phase I of the project, which covers an area of 2,000 hectares. The hill station township will finally encompass an area spanning 5,000 hectares.
According to reports from Maharashtra's town planning and valuation department, the Pune collector had given permission for non-agricultural use for an area of about 614 hectares. In this area, the plan to build 935 residential buildings was given. Of the 935 residential buildings, 131 buildings are almost completed, 257 buildings are under construction above plinth level and the construction for 547 buildings is yet to begin. Read the full report here.
Source: Urmi A. Goswami, ET Bureau, Economic Times, New Delhi.
