Plea in HC against green clearance

NEWDELHI:: The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Centre to a file a report on whatever decision the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) takes on granting environmental clearance (EC) to the Central Vista project. It was hearing a plea seeking interim directions to Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to not allow any alterations on the land.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher also sought the response of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the CPWD on an application filed by one of the petitioners, Anuj Shrivastava, who said Parliament’s expansion should not be allowed as the public hearing to discuss the matter was called at a short notice.

Justice Shakdher said even if clearance was granted for cutting trees, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) cannot go ahead and do it as the overall issue of change in land use was yet to be decided.

On Monday, Shrivastava, through his counsel senior advocate Sanjay Hedge and advocate Ankit Yadav, who moved an application in court, said environmental clearance had not been granted for the project yet and hence no alterations should be made in land use.

The plea said the EAC of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change was likely to take a decision on the EC on February 25 and there was likelihood that if such permission was granted, then changes may be made to the land in question, including removal of tress, which will be an irreversible process.

Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Maninder Kaur Acharya told the court the EAC was likely to take a decision on the environmental clearance on Tuesday.