Tougher green norms for builders soon, govt tells SC

The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that it would bring out tougher norms for the real estate companies to ensure if they will have to pay heavily for violating the green norms.

The apex court asked the Union government to bring out a comprehensive chart, showing if the seven builders from Tamil Nadu had complied with the norms for carrying out their projects in Chennai.

A bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and R Banumathi directed those construction companies, which did not deposit five per cent of the project cost, imposed as fine by the National Green Tribunal, to do so, for not complying with environment norms.

Additional Solicitor General N K Kaul, appearing for the Ministry of Environment and Forest, told the court that the government was coming out with fresh notification putting in far more stringent norms for building projects. The bench, on its part, asked the law officer, “The fresh notification will deal with future projects but what about the past violations.”

 He responded by saying those builders would slapped with damage cost to the environment in accordance with polluter pays principle. The court said it would consider the issue and directed him to prepare a chart showing how many projects had complied with the directions for fine.

A battery of senior advocates including Kapil Sibal, C A Sundaram, Rajiv Dutta and S Guru Krishna Kumar, appeared for different project proponents Y Pondurai, M/s Ruby Manoharan Property Developers Pvt. Ltd, M/s Jones Foundations Pvt. Ltd, M/s SSM Builders and Promoters, M/s SPR and RG Construction Pvt Ltd, M/s Dugar Housing Ltd and M/s SAS Realtors Pvt Ltd.

The NGT had earlier quashed the office memoranda, relating to environment clearance and prohibited the MoEF and the SEIAA (State Environment Impact Assessment Authority) in the entire country from giving effect to these circular in any manner.