Environment Ministry Issued Show Cause Notice to LCL

The Indian Environment Ministry issued a show cause notice to the controversial Lavasa Corporation Limited (LCL) on 26 November 2010 for raising serious questions over a number of its constructions that the ministry considers as violations. Lavasa, India's first hill city project undertaken by Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) about 45 km from Pune currently faces a serious problem with the Ministry notice. The ministry directed LCL to answer why it built structures in Mulshi and Velhe talukas between 2004 and 2006 in areas which lay 1000 metres above the sea level without obtaining clearance from the Environment ministry. The ministry accused LCL of violating Section (5) of the Environmental Protection Act, 1986 as per the provisions of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification 1994, as amended in 2004 and 2006.