EC to Sobha rejected for concealing facts

The State Level Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA)- Karnataka has cancelled the environmental clearance (EC) to Sobha City Phase 2, a residential and commercial development project proposed at Chokkanahalli village, Yelahanka hobli.

SEIAA cited concealment of facts in the present and earlier projects as the reason for cancelling the EC. The orders were issued after a detailed meeting by members on June 26.

Sobha Ltd had proposed its project on 5,570 sqmts of land in survey numbers 40/7/1, 9/1, 9/2, 62/2 and 62/3/1 at a cost of Rs 48.31 crore.

The orders, a copy of which is with DH, noted that the subject was first discussed by the State Level Expert Appraisal Committee, a body under the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), on May 5. The committee noted that the proponent proposed to cart out 80% of earth excavated from the site. SEAC suggested reworking the plan and reduce the earthwork production. SEAC forwarded the application to SEIAA with three conditions — conduct an energy audit, reserve 5-10% parking space for electric vehicles and submit details for reduction of earthwork generation.

SEIAA on May 28, perused the proposal and found that this project is an expansion of Sobha City project for which the EC was issued on August 13, 2013. SEIAA noted that survey numbers 62/2 and 62/3 of Chokkanahalli village overlapped in both these projects. SEIAA pointed out that the proponent ought to have taken the proposed project as an expansion of the existing one and sought details of survey numbers 62/2 and 62/3 with clarification as to why it was not undertaken as an expansion to Sobha City.

SEIAA members also visited the site on June 26 and observed that the plan approved by the local planning authority differed from the conceptual plan that had been considered while apprising the Sobha City project. The location which SEIAA had approved for commercial block construction is now shown as for future development. “Even though the plan was approved on May 24, 2015, the proponent did not inform the SEIAA and sought modification of EC issued to the Sobha City project,” members noted.

“The act of the proponent to carve out certain area for which EC was granted and submitting a different proposal without proper modification in the earlier EC amounts to concealment of facts. So the authority has decided to reject the EC and issue a notice to the proponent,” the order stated.

Sobha says... Reacting to this Sobha’s official spokesperson said: “The company has applied for clearance from the environment department for SOBHA City – Phase 2. We are given to understand that there are some clarifications required, which will be given on the receipt of official communication.”