The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday directed Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to submit the evidence of compliance of Supreme Court order for depositing Rs 5.35crore (one third amount of total
construction cost) with Ridge Management Board and plantation of 1,103 trees with proof of having paid maintenance charges for five years with the Department of Forest, Government of National Capital Territory (GNCT).
Taking the cognisance of the violations, the Supreme Court has ordered DDA and JNU to submit final affidavit on this matter.
On May 12, 2016, The Pioneer had reported this case with headline ‘7 JNU buildings violate norms, face storm’.
After the intervention of the NGT on illegal construction of seven hostel buildings on JNU campus, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) on May 2016 had submitted a site inspection report to the Supreme Court.
Anil Sood, president ‘Chetna’, an organisation for environment, said that JNU land comes under the South Central Ridge (Reserve Forest) category and any type of construction is prohibited, “I had filed an RTI in July, 2015 and asked the JNU authorities about the construction of the seven buildings. What was more shocking was the fact that the JNU higher authorities are not clear whether JNU land falls under South Central Ridge or not,” said Sood.
The buildings, under the scanner were 24 type-III flats for staff at Paschimabad, STP in Saraswatipuram, New hostel building near Shipra hostel, Trans- Disciplinary academic building and Yamuna hostel warden flats and dinning on JNU campus.
It may be noted that JNU, the Central University was founded in 1969 and at that time no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) law was established. However, during the construction of new buildings for School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, EIA law was fully established which came in existence in 1986.