Yellowstone Skyscrapers Project Under NGT Scanner
Pune: A residential project being developed by Yellowstone Skyscrapers LLP at Survey No. 47/1/A, Maan, Taluka Mulshi, has come under scrutiny before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), with the applicant alleging that construction was carried out without obtaining a valid Environmental Clearance (EC) and seeking environmental compensation exceeding ₹50 crore.
The matter is being heard by the National Green Tribunal, Western Zone Bench, Pune, in Original Application No. 152 of 2025, filed by Kalpesh Chandrakant Yadav against the Union of India and several other respondents. The applicant has questioned the legality of the construction activities undertaken at the residential project and has sought action against the developer for alleged violations of environmental laws.
According to the application, the project allegedly proceeded with construction beyond the scope of the original Environmental Clearance granted on August 30, 2022, without first securing the mandatory expansion clearance required under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006.
The project, promoted by Yellowstone Skyscrapers LLP through Vineet Goyal, subsequently received an expansion Environmental Clearance from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Maharashtra, on May 21, 2026, after an application submitted on December 29, 2023 through Galina Consultancy Services Pvt. Ltd.
The applicant contends that obtaining the expansion approval at a later stage does not automatically regularise any construction allegedly undertaken before the clearance was granted. The petition seeks examination of whether work exceeding the limits of the original approval was carried out without prior environmental permission.
The dispute also concerns changes made to the project’s design. According to documents placed before the Tribunal, revised sanctioned plans and a revised commencement certificate were issued on December 13, 2023, while revised fire safety permissions allowing increased heights for certain towers were granted on February 22, 2024. The applicant has questioned whether these modifications required prior environmental approval before implementation.
Apart from challenging the validity of the construction, the applicant has sought substantial environmental compensation, claiming that the alleged violations warrant strict action under environmental regulations. The petition also raises concerns regarding compliance with statutory approvals governing large residential developments.
In its reply before the Tribunal, Yellowstone Skyscrapers LLP has denied all allegations and maintained that the project has been developed in accordance with approvals granted by the competent authorities. The developer has argued that the expansion Environmental Clearance issued on May 21, 2026, renders the application infructuous and that all construction has been carried out lawfully.
The developer has further contended that the applicant resides in Vadgaon Sheri, approximately 26 kilometres from the project site, and has questioned his locus standi to maintain the proceedings. It has also alleged that the applicant has filed several similar complaints against builders and infrastructure projects across Pune.
Yellowstone Skyscrapers LLP has stated that the residential project includes a Sewage Treatment Plant based on Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) technology and that no borewell exists within the project, making permission from the Central Ground Water Authority unnecessary.
The developer has also opposed the applicant’s demand for environmental compensation exceeding ₹50 crore, arguing that no calculations or documentary evidence have been produced to justify the figure.
The Tribunal is expected to examine whether the construction undertaken at the Maan project complied with the original Environmental Clearance, whether subsequent approvals adequately addressed the alleged violations, and whether any environmental liability arises from the project before deciding the matter.
