Nagpur: The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Western Zone bench, Pune, will hear petition about violations at the Vidarbha Cricket Association’s (VCA) Jamtha international stadium on Wednesday. Farmers organization Jai Jawan Jai Kisan through its secretary Arun Wankar and RTI activists TH Naidu and Ankita Shah had filed the petition.
On March 23, advocate Asim Sarode had filed the petition representing the petitioners. The NGT, on April 26, had directed notices to 11 respondents– VCA, collector, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, NMC, NIT, divisional commissioner, commissioner of police, tehsildar (rural), assistant director of town planning, environment department and MoEFCC. The notices were returnable on May 26.
However, the notices were not issued to respondents as per sources at the NGT till Monday. The petitioners had to send notices to respondents on Tuesday informing about the hearing.
The petitioners had prayed for closure of the stadium followed by demolition and action against 10 respondents for not initiating any action against the VCA. “VCA did not obtain environment clearance from the state environment department, consent to establish and then operate from the MPCB and building plan sanction from the collector/Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) before construction of Jamtha cricket stadium and its utilization. Collector office had issued performance license for World T-20 Men and Women Cups held in March despite lack of building plan sanction and environment clearance. Also, VCA violated norms of sounds during the matches,” the petitioners said.
The petitioners had lodged complaints seeking action against VCA with collector Sachin Kurve, MPCB, NIT and police department before commencement of World T-20 Cups but nothing happened.
Jamtha Violations
- Neither collector nor NIT gave building plan sanction to stadium
- No environment clearance from state environment department
- No consent to operate from MPCB
- Fire NOC and compliance seven years after bringing stadium into use
- Parking space less than required as per norms
- 15% open space and public utility land not taken over
- Violation of sound norms during World T-20 Cups
Petitioners’ Pleas
- Stop using stadium and demolish it as unauthorized structure
- Impose environmental damage and revenue loss on respondents
- Pay Rs1 lakh as litigation charges to respondents
