CHENNAI: Unauthorised constructions by a few private developers in several parts of the city without obtaining environmental clearance could threaten the ground water recharge pattern and sea water ingression in coastal areas, states a report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Chairman who headed an expert committee appointed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to assess the ecological and environmental damage.
The report, which was submitted to the Delhi bench of the NGT recently, was taken up to assess damages caused by city based developers in 13 sites after petitions were filed by Manoj Misra, a former Indian Forest Service officer and convener of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan, and SP Muthuraman, an environmental activist.
The tribunal had already imposed a penalty of `76.192 crore on seven private builders in 2015 for raising unauthorised structures violating the Environment Protection Act 1986.
The report was prepared after a visit to the sites of developers VGN Builder Private Limited, Y Pondurai, Jones Foundation, SAS Realtors, Dugar Housing, SPR and RG Constructions, Anjli Infra Housing, Ankur Khusal Construction, Ambattur Realty Private Limited, ETA Properties and Investment, Ruby Manoharan Property Developers, Appaswamy Real Estates and Shivani constructions.
The report said that in many cases, the construction had been done below the water table, which has every probability of impacting the hydrology of the area. “There will be a breach of previous layer of top acquifer as well as reduction in recharging area due to construction,” the report said.
It also castigated the authorities for failing to conduct any study while according permission. “No assured water supply was available at any of the sites, except for a few,” the report stated.
“Abstraction of ground water beyond the recharging rate has every possibility of sea water ingression as such it is imperative to monitor the ground water level and water quality by accredited third party or Central Ground Water board,” the report added.
The report said that the sewage treatment plant created by developers Y Pondurai, SAS Realtors and Ruby Manoharan Property Developers, Anjali Infra Housing, ETA Properties and Investment Private Limited, Shivani Constructions, Appaswamy Real Estates and Ambattur Realty does not have headroom or safe access to the units for proper operation and maintenance.
The report also highlighted lack of solid waste management at the sites. It observed that building permission for projects should be granted only after environmental clearance.
It also suggested that the clearance should be integrated with the building permission.