1. (i) The notification
dated the 14th September, 2006 issued under sub-section (1) read with
clause (v) of sub-section (2) of section (3) of the Environment (Protection)
Act, 1986 and clause (d) of the sub-rule (3) of rule 5 of the
Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986
mandates that the construction of
new projects or activities listed in the
Schedule to the said notification shall be undertaken only after prior
environmental clearance from the concerned authorities.
(ii) While constructing IT3 building, the Owner was under
obligation to obtain such environmental clearance because building and
construction projects fall under category 8(a) of the Schedule. However, environmental clearance was not obtained
because Owner was under the impression that such clearance is not required as
it is in Industrial zone and is having total area of less than 500 Hectors,
there is no industry of category A & B in its complex; therefore it falls
under category 7(c) of the Schedule to the EIA Notification, 2006.
(iii) Category 7(c) of the Schedule refers to Industrial Area,
Special Economic Zone etc. Industrial Zone and Industrial area are not the one
and same thing. Further, Government of India, vide its letter dated 30.09.2016 has
clarified that Information Technology Park are covered for grant of
Environmental Clearance if attracts the provisions given under item 8(a)
(Building and Construction project) and
(b) of the Schedule to the EIA Notification, 2006. Therefore, now it is
absolutely clear that Owner is under statutory obligation to obtain
Environmental Clearance.
(iv) Non-compliance of
provisions of Environmental Protection Act and the said Notification is an
offence under section 15 of Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986 and Section 15(1) provides imprisonment for a
term which may extend to five years or with fine which may extend to
one lakh rupees, or with both, and in case the contravention continues, with additional
fine which may extend to five thousand rupees for every day during which
such contravention continues after the conviction for the first such
contravention.
(v) Since Owner did not
obtain environmental clearance, Pollution Control Board after giving notice to Owner,
lodged a police case against Owner and its two officers invoking section 15 of
the Act which is pending in Borivli Court. The next date is 31 December 2016
for recording plea.
(2) Pleading Guilty-
3 (i)So long as Owner does not obtain environmental clearance
after disposal of the case, contravention of the Act shall continue and Owner
and its officers may be liable to pay additional
fine which may extend to five
thousand rupees for every day during which such contravention continues as per
section 15(1) of the Act.
(ii)
Further, the fact that Owner has not yet applied for EC, may also prejudice the
court in disposing of the case by imposing only fine.
(iii) It is not advisable to plead guilty at this stage without
even obtaining EC for IT 3 building. The offence under section 15 of
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 is a continuous offence.
(iv)
Continuous offences
are those offenses which arises out of a failure to comply with a rule or its
requirement and which involves a penalty, the liability for which continues
until the rule or its requirement is complied with. Owner is not having environmental clearance
from the concerned authority even today and its obligation to obtain environmental
clearance is not done away with after pleading guilty and the case is closed
after imposing fine only.
(v) Owner has not yet
applied or taken steps for obtaining environmental clearance from the concerned authorities. If Owner
fails to obtain environmental clearance within one year from the date of
conviction after pleading guilty, Section 15(2) of the
Act shall also come into force and then Owner
and its officers will be liable for prosecution again for which imprisonment
term may be up to seven years. Section 15(2) of the Act is as follows:
“15 (2)
If the failure or contravention referred to in sub-section (1) continues beyond
a period of one year after the date of conviction, the offender shall be
punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years.”
(vi) Thus, Owner will be taking the risk of inviting another
criminal proceeding, if environmental clearance
is not obtained within one year from
the date of conviction and Pollution Control Board will be at liberty to
file such criminal case again. Besides, Owner may have to pay additional fine
at the rate of Rs.5000/- per day for the delay in obtaining EC for IT3.