There was no environmental damage during the construction of Lavasa lake city, environment minister Ramdas Kadam said, in a written reply in the lower house of the assembly, on August 4, 2017. The picturesque hill station, located around 60 kms from the Pune city and built from scratch, has been mired in controversies, ever since it was conceptualised and work on it began over a decade ago.
The ambitious project, executed by a leading private construction company, faced allegations of rampant tree felling, violation of several environmental laws and forceful acquisition of land from owners. A few years ago, the Union Environment and Forests Ministry stopped work on the project, being built in phases within the western ghat ranges, over alleged violation of green norms. It later gave a go-ahead for the project, but put several conditions to safeguard the environment.
See also: Lavasa to now come under Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority
In May 2017, Lavasa was brought under the purview of the Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (PMRDA). This meant approval to any development in the hill station project, will have to be cleared by the PMRDA. Earlier, the city enjoyed the status of Special Planning Authority (SPA), which allowed it to manage its own affairs.
