NGT Fines Paramount Properties Rs 1.7 Crore for Environmental Violations in Pune Project
Pune, 30th August 2025: The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Western Zone Bench, Pune, has imposed an Environmental Damage Compensation (EDC) of ₹1.7 crore on M/s Paramount Properties for carrying out construction of its residential project “Paramount Garden & Paramount Eros” in Katraj without obtaining mandatory environmental clearances.
The judgment, delivered on August 28, 2025, by a bench comprising Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh (Judicial Member) and Dr. Vijay Kulkarni (Expert Member), came in response to an application filed by Pune resident Vishal Shantaram Darwatkar. The applicant alleged that the developer exceeded the permissible built-up area without prior Environmental Clearance (EC), Consent to Establish (CTE), and Consent to Operate (CTO), as required under the Environment Protection Act.
Findings of the Tribunal
The tribunal observed that Paramount Properties constructed multiple buildings at the site, which, when considered as a single project, had a total built-up area exceeding 31,000 sq. mtrs. This was well above the 20,000 sq. mtrs. threshold that mandates environmental approvals under the 2006 EIA Notification.
While the developer argued that Buildings A, B, C and Building D were separate projects, the NGT rejected the claim, ruling that they must be treated as a single project. The bench noted that no application for environmental clearance had ever been filed with the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) confirmed that no CTE or CTO had been obtained.
The tribunal held this to be a “total violation right from the beginning.”
Quantum of Penalty
Citing a 2018 Supreme Court order in the Goel Ganga Developers Pvt. Ltd. vs Union of India case, the NGT calculated the penalty at 5% of the project cost. With Paramount Properties declaring its project cost as ₹34 crore, the fine was set at ₹1.7 crore.
The bench directed the developer to deposit the amount with the MPCB within one month. The Board has been instructed to utilize the funds within six months for environmental improvement in the affected area and to submit a compliance report to the tribunal.
Allegations in the Case
The applicant had accused the developer of:
Extracting groundwater through borewells without approval from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA).
Narrowing and covering a natural water stream passing through the site.
Failing to install adequate sewage treatment facilities and carrying out insufficient tree plantation.
Operating diesel generator sets without clearances.
Disposing of the case, the tribunal warned that project proponents cannot be allowed to “violate law with impunity” and must be held accountable for ecological damage.
