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Court orders action on illegal constructions

The Bombay high court has directed a high-power committee to take steps to prevent illegal constructions in Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani.

The Committee would also take steps to control the pollution of the Venna river, the source of drinking water to the region.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice M B Shah and Justice Rajan Kochhar asked the committee (it had filed a report on the high court's direction) to submit its action-taken report by the second week of February.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by the Bombay Environmental Action group, seeking court action on illegal constructions by certain hotel and resort companies in Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar.

The committee, which included the Pune divisional commissioner and Satara district collector, had submitted its report in November. Accordingly, there were nearly 1,080 illegal constructions, including several hotels and resorts in the region. The report said that many hotels are violating the building laws.

Meanwhile, BEAG's Shena Chenai has filed an affidavit urging the court to direct the state authorities to cancel the licenses of hotels and resorts which figure on the committee report.

UNI

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