Lavasa Corporation has replied to the MoEF show cause notice. In the reply, Lavasa has stated that there are malafide intentions against the project and critical facts related to the project have been suppressed. The company has said that the show-cause notice was issued in haste. It is Ex Parte without following any principles of natural justice. No hearing was given though these allegations had been made to the Minister seven months back. The effort through the show-cause notice appears to be stall the IPO of Lavasa at the behest of the activists.

Lavasa adds that the project was initiated after obtaining environmental clearance from the Maharashtra Government on March 18, 2004. The project clearance was obtained under the “Hill Station Regulations framed under the Maharashtra Town Planning Act (1996). The company had submitted to the Maharashtra Government a rapid environmental impact assessment report on September 2, 2002, and the State had granted it provisional clearance. The DPR was subsequently prepared by NEERI & the State accorded sanction in March 2004 for 2,000 hectares. Lavasa started the work when the 1994 EIA notification was in force and there was no violation.