The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a committee to assess the enhanced compensation to be paid by a builder for carrying out construction in the green area of a Gurugram housing complex.
A Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel constituted the panel comprising representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Central Pollution Control Board and the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal.
The Bench directed the panel to look into the aspect of whether the revised plan of the area which was enforced, “illegally deprived the applicants of their right to ecological services as per the original plan”.
The panel was also asked to assess the liability of compensation on account of violation of law “prohibiting change of common area to the detriment of environment only to advance private profit”.
Interim compensation
Earlier, the Bench had imposed an interim compensation of over ₹68 lakh on Ambience Developers & Infrastructure Private Limited for carrying out construction in an area meant to be a green space in the Ambience Lagoon Apartments.
The orders came when the tribunal was hearing a plea moved by a group of residents who alleged that the construction of a commercial tower was not a part of the original sanctioned plan.
Petitioners’ contention
“Open areas in the colony are shrinking. Groundwater extraction was excessive. Air quality was getting deteriorated. The builder had undertaken construction on designed open spaces, blocking fresh air and sunlight. The approved zoning plans required maintaining at least 15% of the total area as open space,” the plea had contended.