Pollution control board slaps Rs 1.69-cr additional penalty on Ansal builders

The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has imposed a fine of Rs 1.69 crore on Ansal Properties and Infrastructure (Sushant City Phase-1 and Phase-2) for causing damage to the environment from November 11, 2022, to June 6, 2024, i.e. 566 days. With this, the total fine imposed by the HSPCB on the realty firm has reached Rs 3.48 crore.

Earlier in June this year, the HSPCB had imposed a fine of Rs 1.79 crore upon the realtor for “damaging environment” for 597 days (up to November 18, 2022). The HSPCB had directed the firm to deposit the fine amount within 30 days but the builder has not submitted the fine so far.

Untreated sewage discharged onto green belts

• A Delhi-based environmentalist, Varun Gulati, in his complaint against the builder, alleged that its projects didn’t have proper sewage treatment plants, due to which untreated sewage was being discharged onto green belts or into the Drain Number-2 by using tractor-tankers.
• The HSPCB imposed a fine of Rs 1.79 crore upon the company for 597 days up to November 18, 2022. But, complainant questioned that if the inquiry had been conducted in 2024, why the fine was imposed up to November 18, 2022. Thereafter, an additional penalty has been imnposed

A Delhi-based environmentalist, Varun Gulati, had filed a complaint against two builder companies - Ansal Properties and Infrastructure and TDI Infratech Limited — to the NGT for violation of pollution norms by them. Gulati alleged in his complaint that the builders developed their projects but they didn’t have proper sewage treatment plants, due to which untreated sewage was being discharged on to green belts or into the Drain Number-2 by using tractor-tankers. He said this practice was detrimental to the environment as well as people’s health. Following the complaint, the NGT constituted a joint committee, comprising Member Secretary, Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB); Deputy Commissioner (DC), Panipat; and representative of the Member Secretary, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in February and sought factual reports.

ADC Pankaj Yadav, along with Suneel Dave, Director, CPCB, and other officials, visited the sites on April 12 and April 19 and found several anomalies there.

The joint team, in its report to the NGT, stated that both projects had not obtained a valid consent to operate (CTO) from the HSPCB so far.

Ansal has installed two STPs of capacity 25 KLD for Phase-1 and Phase-2, which are insufficient to cater to the discharge of sewage from the township. The realty firm has been discharging effluents into HSVP sewer illegally for the last five years.

After that, the HSPCB imposed a fine of Rs 1.79 crore upon the company for 597 days up to November 18, 2022. But, complainant Gulati again raised objections before the Chairman, HSPCB, questioning that if the inquiry had been conducted by the authorities in 2024, why the fine was imposed up to November 18, 2022. Following the complaint, the HSPCB calculated the environment damage again and has now imposed an additional fine of Rs 1.69 crore upon the builder for the additional period of 566 days up to June 6, 2024.