Tough Environmental Rules for New Housing Complexes

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All new housing complexes that accommodate more than 1,000 people or generates 50,000 or more litres of sewage per day and buildings worth Rs 50 crore will have to get environmental clearance.

HYDERABAD, India — All new housing complexes that accommodate more than 1,000 people or generates 50,000 or more litres of sewage per day and buildings worth Rs 50 crore will have to get environmental clearance.


If they fail to do so, the builders will be prosecuted under the Environment Protection Act. "Under this law, failure to protect the environment is a criminal offence and would attract a penalty of Rs 1 lakh or six months imprisonment," said M Siva Reddy, senior environmental engineer of the AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB).


Even if a housing complex has less than 1,000 people, but generates 50,000 or more litres of sewage per day, it is mandatory for it to obtain environmental clearance, Reddy said.


To obtain environmental clearance, the owners of the proposed complex have to pay APPCB a license fee depending on the investment in the venture. For instance, if a housing complex is worth Rs 50 crore, then the owners will have to pay a licence fee of about Rs 3 lakh for the clearance, Siva Reddy said.


Along with the fee, a report will have to be submitted on measures that will be taken to check pollution. Apartment complexes will have to ensure that sewage production is minimised.


"The stringent environmental protection measures are meant to improve pollution management," Reddy said. For instance, sewage water could be treated by the housing complexes and re-used for flushing toilets or for gardening, he said.


APPCB junior scientific officer Ravindra said the state government empowered to take action against defaulting construction houses or industrial estates under the Environment Protection Act (EPA). The central government too has the authority to take action under Section 5 of the EPA, said.


Principal secretary (environment) Tishya Chatterjee said buildings which are not worth Rs 50 crore will not have to get the environmental clearance provided they do not generate 50,000 litres of sewerage per day. All those who fall in line with the act, then the state government will take action, he said.


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Source: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News