Adarsh did not have CRZ clearance,former MoEF official tells probe panel

The controversial Adarsh housing society building did not have a Coastal Regulation Zone clearance from either the state or central government.

The controversial Adarsh housing society building did not have a Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance from either the state or central government,a former environment ministry official told the Adarsh commission on Monday. The statement was made by Bharat Bhushan,a former director of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). This is in consonance with the assertion of the present MoEF director A Senthil Vel,who had appeared before the commission in May.

Vel had told the commission that as no permission was given by the MoEF for the structure,the construction is illegal.

On Monday,Bharat Bhushan cited a communication received from the state environment department which stated that the Adarsh housing society had neither obtained a CRZ clearance from the state government nor had the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) recommended any such proposal to the MoEF.

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Bhushan was the official who had passed the order in February last year for demolition of the Adarsh building on the grounds of environmental violations.

The order,however,was stayed by the Bombay High Court two months later.

According to his deposition on Monday,Bhushan had passed the order directing demolition on the basis of details sent by the government of Maharashtra,the minutes of the MCZMA meeting and a hearing of the Adarsh society representatives.

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