The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday issued notices to the Centre, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and others over a plea by Delhi University challenging the environmental clearance granted to a housing project in North Campus.
A Bench headed by NGT chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel sought responses from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) of Delhi, Young Builders Private Limited, Central Pollution Control Board, and North body over the plea.
The authorities have been asked to file their replies by August 14.
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The plea moved by DU sought quashing of the environmental clearance granted to the builders to construct a housing project near Vishwavidyalaya metro station.
Environmental impact
The plea further sought the constitution of an independent committee to assess the environmental impact of the project.
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“While granting the impugned environment clearance for the construction of the tallest building in Delhi under the proposed project, the impact that its habitation will bring to the level of air and noise pollution was blatantly ignored by SEIAA inasmuch as the waste disposal considerations were also not taken into account in a serious manner,” the plea alleged.
The university in the plea, contended that the proposed project “falls in the silence zone as it is stationed within 100 metres distance from the University of Delhi, an educational institution and the Vallabhai Patel Chest Institute, which is a super speciality hospital.
No study was called for by the SEIAA for determining the impact on noise due to non-disclosure of the full details concerning the existence of the University and the super speciality hospital in the area.”
‘Non-negotiable’
Further, the plea stated that the proposed project would also have an adverse effect on the Northern Ridge which is in close proximity to the university campus.
“Even the Master Plan for Delhi statutorily prohibits tall buildings in this area in an effort to preserve the character of the university. The provision positing the restriction on tall construction is absolute and non-negotiable statutorily in addition to its environmental necessity,” read the plea.