Plea over inaction on SBI officers’ housing project in Mambakkam
CHENNAI: The Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) are now facing a contempt petition before the Madras High Court over failing to initiate action against the State Bank of India Officers Association’s housing project ‘Unity Enclave’ in Mambakkam.
A joint inspection by the DTCP and CMDA, which was carried out upon a Madras High Court direction last year, found that the project was being built in violation of the approved plan.
The DTCP also issued a notice stating that the project was an unauthorised development and was carried out in contravention of the planning permission.
However, the officials failed to initiate any action, and hence a contempt of court petition was moved recently.
According to the inspection report, the passage width has been curtailed from 29.49 metres in the approved plan to 15.85 metres with the construction of a ground floor plus three floors of commercial space. Similarly, the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) blocks -- S, T and U -- have been modified from 1BHK to 2.5 BHK. As per the approved plan, there were 10 dwelling units, and this has been modified to five dwelling units on each floor.
Similarly, the area marked for solid waste disposal has been transferred to the state electricity board for providing a substation and the Open Space Reservation (OSR) area has not been demarcated with proper fencing or compound wall. A few structures and sheds exist in the OSR area. Similarly, under the approved plan there are provisions for four sewage treatment plants but only one exists on the site.
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, in its report last year, stated that the site falls under the jurisdiction of the DTCP, which also issued approval for the building.
Meanwhile, the National Green Tribunal is also hearing a petition from one Rakesh Kumar pertaining to the Unity Enclave. The petition has questioned the lack of adequate sewage treatment plants for the gated community and alleged that the sewage water is disposed of to open ground causing a threat to the groundwater table.
The National Green Tribunal has directed the authorities to form a joint committee consisting of representatives of the member secretary of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, the Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation and the Chennai District Magistrate, and submit a report on their findings to the Southern Zone Bench in two months. The matter has been posted to May 30.