Green violations in Gurgaon colony: NGT imposes Rs 153cr fine on Ansals

GURGAON: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a fine of Rs 153.5 crore on Ansal properties for environmental violations at its project at Sushant Lok-I here. The project is spread across 600 acres in sectors 27, 28 and 43, but construction has stopped following an NGT order in 2019.
The order, issued on Monday, came on a petition filed by a resident in 2018, alleging that the developer was supposed to leave 45% of the project area for green zones and a community centre, but instead sold off the plots to people for building houses.
The green panel also issued a Rs 2 crore penalty on the town and country planning department for issuing a licence to the builder without examining if it had fulfilled the requisite norms.
The judgment - issued by the principal bench of the tribunal headed by chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel - said Ansal properties would have to submit the fine amount within three months. "Environmental compensation of Rs 153,50,62,892 shall be paid by respondent 11 i.e., APIL-PP and deposited with HSPCB within three months. This amount shall be utilised for rejuvenation/restoration of environment in the area recommendation of a joint committee comprising CPCB, HSPCB, district magistrate, and MCG who shall prepare a plan within three months and execute the same within further six months from the date of deposit of environmental compensation by respondent 11," it read.
The NGT pointed out a few other violations by the developer, such as extracting groundwater or discharging untreated or partially treated water directly into stormwater drains. It also stated that Ansal could not carry out any further development at the site until it had a clearance from "competent authorities".
Asked about the Rs 2 crore fine, KM Pandurang, the director of the country planning department, said, "I am yet to receive the order." Anil Grover, the government counsel, however, said, "We will challenge it in the high court or the Supreme Court. As a regulating authority, DTCP has not done anything wrong."
The developer did not respond to calls and messages for a comment.