Tamil Nadu   

Government to challenge environment notification

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 19. The Supreme Court today adjourned the hearing on a special leave petition (SLP) seeking a stay on construction of the Rs. 500-crore Secretariat complex at Kotturpuram in Chennai.

A Bench consisting of Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Justice D.M. Dharmadhikari adjourned the proceedings following a submission that the Tamil Nadu Government would challenge next week the July 7 notification of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests on constructions in coastal areas.

K. K. Venugopal, senior counsel, said the SLP was based on the draft notification. Now that the final notification had been issued, the Government would challenge it in the Madras High Court. As per the notification ``any new construction where work has not come up to the plinth level shall require clearance'' with effect from July 7.

Rajeev Dhavan, senior counsel appearing for the petitioners, S.M. Arasu and P. Krishnan, submitted that certain developments had taken place since the SLP was filed.

The Bench told counsel that in the light of the fresh notification ``nothing will happen''.

The petitioners said the Government's intention was to push through the project, which envisaged construction of a floor space of 10 lakh-12 lakh square feet at a staggering cost.

It would adversely affect and place a huge burden on the infrastructure in the area— roads, water, sanitation and environment.

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