Committee report on functional audit of SEIAA, Uttar Pradesh in compliance with the National Green Tribunal order in OA No. 199/2021 (Saviour Park Apartment Owners Association Vs State of Uttar Pradesh & Others).

The matter related to violation of environmental norms in setting up of a construction project – Saviour Park, plot No.108, Katori Mill, Loni Road, Mohan Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, by Savfab Buildtech Pvt. Ltd., without valid Environmental Clearance (EC) and without requisite safeguards. It was further stated that EC conditions and environmental norms are being violated.

The NGT, August 13, 2021 had directed a two member committee to conduct functional audit of SEIAA, Uttar Pradesh to find out how frequent blatant violations are taking place and how the situation can be remedied.

It was observed that applications in respect of a total of 2105 projects have been received during January 2017 to December 2021. A total of 2105 applications were processed and EC's were granted to 1486. However, the present ground status of the remaining 619 projects are not known. "Possibility of their continuation or completion of such projects cannot be ruled out," the committee report, May 2, 2022 said. Further, during the aforesaid period, mining projects predominated in the state and this was followed by building construction projects.

In many cases, the time taken to grant ECs varied from 1 year to more than 4 years. Possibility of initiation of the construction activities in such cases without obtaining EC, cannot be ruled out. There was lack of adherence to the stepwise flowchart and time lines for issue of Environment Clearance by the SEIAA and lack of institutional mechanism for coordination with the SPCB, municipal bodies, town planning and other enforcement agencies and designated bodies involved in sanctioning building construction projects at local level, the replies furnished by the SEIAA, UP clearly showed, according to the committee report.