NGT directs Haryana government to blacklist Ansal Properties

The National Green Tribunal on Friday directed the Haryana government to blacklist Ansal Properties and Infrastructure Ltd and levied a huge penalty on the builder for its Sushant Lok 1 project which has violated pollution control norms. The builder has been asked to pay Rs 16.7 crore for discharging untreated sewage into stormwater drains and Rs 40.44 lakh per annum for illegal extraction of water. A CBI inquiry has also been ordered to probe concerned officers of the state pollution control board, the department of town and country planning and other state authorities for letting the housing project come up without the required environmental clearances. The green tribunal has pointed out that the project has not provisioned for a rainwater harvesting system, extracts groundwater illegally, lets out untreated wastewater into stormwater drains, and operates diesel generator sets without any safeguard, all of which is mandated by the law. The court also directed the state government to take action to mitigate the environmental damages that the project has caused and submit a report by April 17 when the next hearing is scheduled.