Rajarhat in foul-air fight ....

[Bong]

Refer: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080521/jsp/calcutta/story_9297083.jsp

Rajarhat in foul-air fight
JAYANTA BASU

The emerging urbanscape of Rajarhat. Three realty titans have been
fined for not seeking environmental clearance for the housing estates
they have built in the boom town. A Telegraph picture
Three real estate titans fined for constructing housing estates in the
city’s boom town, Rajarhat, without the state pollution control
board’s green signal have coughed up the money but are questioning the
way rules are being implemented.

Bengal Peerless, Bengal Shrachi and DLF were given to understand that
environmental clearance had been obtained for the entire township and
that realtors need not individually apply for permission. So it came
as a surprise when Biswajit Mukherjee, the chief law officer in the
environment department, penalised them for not applying for no-
pollution certificates.

The managing director of Bengal Peerless, K.S. Bagchi, said his
company had discussed the issue with Hidco officials on several
occasions and was “verbally” assured that no environmental clearance
would be required for individual housing estates.

“We will appeal to the environment department, though we have already
paid the fine,” Bagchi said.

Bengal Peerless, which cut its teeth in the real estate business with
the landmark Anupama Housing Complex on VIP Road, was fined Rs 10 lakh
for starting work on two estates. Another homegrown real estate
player, Bengal Shrachi, and DLF, the country’s largest realty firm,
had to pay Rs 5 lakh each for building residential complexes without
pollution clearance.

Mukherjee said the Rs 20 lakh paid by the real estate groups would be
used for the welfare of people “affected” by real estate development
and “improvement of the environment”.

Officials of DLF declined comment and none from Bengal Shrachi could
be contacted. Hidco officials said the environment department acted in
haste.

“Our stand is that individual housing complexes should not be asked to
individually seek permission from the pollution control board when the
township as a whole has already received environment clearance.
Housing minister Goutam Deb has already taken it up with the
environment secretary (M.L. Meena),” Hidco managing director Sumantra
Chowdhury told Metro.

Meena said the dispute would be “referred to the Union environment
ministry for clarifications, if required”.

Another official said that when a similar dispute arose in 2006, the
Union environment ministry clarified to the state pollution control
board that “blanket clearance” for Rajarhat did not mean projects
could be started without permission.

“In any case, if the realty firms feel they don’t need environment
clearance for projects in Rajarhat, why did they write to the state
environment impact assessment authority for permission?” he asked.