CMDA forwards application for IIT-M hostels to govt.

In the case relating to the grant of planning permission for construction of three hostel blocks on the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) campus, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has requested the government to pass suitable orders based on the recommendations of its multi-storeyed building (MSB) panel.

In its status report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) – Southern Bench, on Wednesday, CMDA member secretary, A. Karthik, stated that the planning permission application (PPA) was presented before the MSB panel on June 6. The same was forwarded to the government on June 9 for taking necessary action.

The CMDA also requested the government to approve the recommendations of the panel subject to the following conditions: obtaining an NOC from Airports Authority of India and the traffic police, as well as Environment Impact Authority (EIA) clearance, before issue of planning permission, and furnishing a fire licence and an NOC from the Indian Air Force before issue of a completion certificate, among others.

The report states that the registrar of IIT-M applied for the construction of the three MSB blocks for a boys and girls hostel, with 392 rooms in each block. In its meeting, the MSB panel observed that the PPA for the three blocks alone was examined based on the orders of the tribunal.

The usual practice is to consider the entire site along with all the existing/proposed buildings as single entity for processing the application.

Final hearing on July 2

The panel also suggested that IIT-M should submit a PPA for the entire premises comprising all the existing as well as proposed structures. The bench posted the case to July 2 for the final hearing.

Last month, the tribunal directed the CMDA to consider the application for permission for the construction of the hostels, to inspect the site and place a status report before the tribunal on June 11. The tribunal felt that the future of the students could not be compromised.

The counsel for the forest department had presented a letter from the special secretary (forests) stating that the area around Guindy National Park is a ‘Nil’ Eco-Sensitive Zone and, hence, the application from IIT–M could be considered.