As 3 more Lavasa-like projects await approval, activists worry of environmental damage
As 3 more Lavasa-like projects await approval, activists worry of environmental damageu00a0
Theu00a0Lavasa city project maybe in the eye of the storm for flouting green norms, but that has not deterred three other companies from evincing interest to develop similar projects in the district.
Activists though are sceptical about the projects being any different from its precedent Lavasa.
If approved, the three upcoming projects would be developed by Aqua Land (India) Ltd, Satind Infrastructure Pvt Ltd and Maharashtra Valley View Ltd.u00a0
The last two companies are merging and making one hill station, said Prakash Bongale, assistant director, town planning, Pune city. "The application by Aqua Land was made in 2001 by Maharshi Vaidic Construction Corporation. Aqua Land project is still under the consideration of the Urban Development Department,"
Aqua Land project includes Veghre, Lavarde, Varke and Mulshi Gaon. The government has issued notification about Aqua Land to the villages concerned to get their suggestions and objections. Satind Infrastructure and Maharashtra Valley View Limited include villages of Saltar, Majgaon, Tailbaila, Barpe, Bhambarde, Ekole, Ghutke, Adgaon. Bongale said.
"Till date we have received one objection for declaring these villages as hill station," said Sadhana Naik, deputy director, town planning, Pune city. "We are submitting the report to the state government after studying the suggestions and objections raised by the people."
Maruti Bhapkar, social activist and member of National Alliance of People Movement fighting against Lavasa Corporation, said the builder, businessmen and politician lobby was playing with the environment at Sahyadri hills, Lonavla and Panhala fort. "We are strongly opposing the new hill stations coming up at Sahyadri and Konkan area, which is an oxygen-providing area for the entire nation," he said.
Dr Vishwambar Chaudhari, environmentalist, said the state government was meddling with the environmental harmony in the Western Ghat area of Sahyadri Hills. "We will object to these private hill station projects in the
future to stop environmental degradation in the name of development," he said.u00a0u00a0
Lavasa Corporation had been ordered to stop construction work by the Environmental Ministry till December 31.
