Jaipur: National Green Tribunal (NGT) has disposed of a petition alleging environmental violations by Ananta Spa and Resort near Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar district after a joint committee found that the project did not require prior environmental clearance and had obtained the necessary regulatory permissions.The Central Zone bench of Justice Sheo Kumar Singh and expert member Dr Prashant Gargava passed the order on Oct 16 (uploaded Wednesday, after the 10 days Dussehra break) on a petition filed by Hemraj Meena, who alleged that the resort had been developed within one kilometre of Sariska Tiger Reserve without mandatory clearances.The petitioner had alleged that the resort, featuring rooms, banquet halls and swimming pools, had a built-up area exceeding 20,000 square metres. He also alleged encroachment on land recorded as Gair Mumkin Nala and groundwater extraction without the required permission.The tribunal had constituted a joint committee on July 6, comprising representatives of the forest department, Alwar district administration, Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board and Central Ground Water Board, to inspect the site and submit a report.According to the committee, the resort, operated by M/s Ananta Hotels & Resorts, a unit of Goyal Fashions Pvt Ltd, has 144 rooms and a built-up area of 19,377.91 square metres. As the built-up area is below the 20,000-square-metre threshold under the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, prior environmental clearance was not required.The committee also found no permanent construction on the land recorded as a drainage channel and no obstruction to water flow or commercial use of the water resource.The report stated that the resort had obtained consent to establish and consent to operate from the state pollution control board, with the latter valid until Nov 30, 2029. It also has a groundwater extraction no-objection certificate permitting abstraction of 195 kilolitres per day through four borewells, valid until July 16, 2028.The committee noted that land conversion for the project was approved on Oct 24, 2018, during the period when a state govt order regulating commercial activities within one kilometre of specified protected areas was in force. The forest department representative said the resort was approximately 200 metres from Sariska’s critical tiger habitat boundary.During the hearing, counsel for the applicant acknowledged that the project had the relevant permissions and that environmental clearance was not applicable. The tribunal disposed of the application, recording that no further action was required in view of the findings.
