SAMBALPUR: A prominent residential apartment complex in the city, Green Park Residency, has come under the scanner of Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) for allegedly operating without mandatory environmental approvals, prompting the regulatory authority to issue a notice warning of possible penal action under the Water and Air Acts.
In a notice dated July 31, regional officer of OSPCB, Sambalpur SN Nanda directed the developer M/s JAS Constructions Pvt Ltd to immediately obtain the statutory consent to establish (CTE) and consent to operate (CTO) for the residential complex at Sakhigopinath, Town-5.
The notice alleged that the developer was operating the multi-block residential complex ‘without valid CTE/CTO from the Board’ in violation of sections 25 and 26 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and section 21 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
Referring to the Sambalpur Development Authority’s 23rd development plan and building permission committee proceedings, the OSPCB said the project expansion was approved subject to obtaining statutory clearances. It noted that despite depositing Rs 40 lakh bank guarantee and a Rs 21.02 lakh demand draft for environmental clearance (EC), the developer had neither secured the clearance nor obtained valid CTE/CTO before operating the residential complex.
Terming it a ‘gross violation’ of the Water and Air Acts, the Board directed the company to immediately apply for CTO through its online consent management system, warning that non-compliance could invite prosecution under the two Acts. Copies of the notice were also forwarded to the member secretary of OSPCB, the district collector and the commissioner of Sambalpur Municipal Corporation.
On the other hand, in its representation submitted earlier this week, JAS Constructions denied any negligence, stating that the delay in obtaining EC was due to pending judicial proceedings and regulatory issues, and not because of any lapse on its part. The developer cited that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s expert appraisal committee had already recommended the project for EC.
It further argued that the CTO application could not be submitted because the Online Consent Management & Monitoring System (OCMMS) portal requires an EC number, which has not been issued yet. “Despite our readiness and willingness to apply, the CTO application cannot be completed presently and submitted through the prescribed online system,” it said.
The company urged the Board not to initiate coercive action and sought permission to submit the CTO application after the EC is issued or through an alternative mechanism.
Notably, Green Park Residency is one of Sambalpur’s prominent residential apartment complexes and has frequently figured in the public eye due to its association with former Union minister and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan who has been operating from here since 2024 elections.
