Supreme Court wants regulator for environmental clearances of projects
By Dhananjay Mahapatra, TNN | 7 Jan, 2014, 12.52AM IST
NEW DELHI: In a major blow to the Centre's election year decision to speed up environmental clearance to long pending projects, the Supreme Court on Monday ordered the government to appoint a national regulator which would take up comprehensive environmental impact assessment (EIA) of projects.
Brushing aside the Centre's opposition to a national regulator, a bench of Justice AK Patnaik, Justice SS Nijjar and Justice FMI Kalifulla said the super regulator was the need of the hour as the present mechanism "is deficient in many respects". This would bring an end to rapid EIAs, conducted earlier by the ministry of environment and forest (MoEF), for important projects.
Brushing aside the Centre's opposition to a national regulator, a bench of Justice AK Patnaik, Justice SS Nijjar and Justice FMI Kalifulla said the super regulator was the need of the hour as the present mechanism "is deficient in many respects". This would bring an end to rapid EIAs, conducted earlier by the ministry of environment and forest (MoEF), for important projects.
"What is required is a regulator at the national level having its offices in all the states which can carry out an independent, objective and transparent appraisal and approval of projects for environmental clearances and which can also monitor the implementation of the conditions laid down in environmental clearances," the bench said.
The Congress leadership had recently decided to ease out Jayanthi Natarajan as environment minister after it felt that many projects had been stalled due to cumbersome environmental clearance, which had been kept pending for years. Veerappa Moily, who was given charge of ministry of environment and forest, had said he would try to speed up the process for EIA clearance.
The court asked the government to set up the national regulator with head office at Delhi and branches in as many states as possible by March 31 and file an affidavit of compliance by April 7, the next date for hearing of the case.
The Congress leadership had recently decided to ease out Jayanthi Natarajan as environment minister after it felt that many projects had been stalled due to cumbersome environmental clearance, which had been kept pending for years. Veerappa Moily, who was given charge of ministry of environment and forest, had said he would try to speed up the process for EIA clearance.
The court asked the government to set up the national regulator with head office at Delhi and branches in as many states as possible by March 31 and file an affidavit of compliance by April 7, the next date for hearing of the case.
Replies
Yes, i think an independent environment regulator is the need of the hour.Environment and sustainabilty awareness is something the society is deprived of.
Where r u dear ?
is there any update on this? when they will start recruitment processes,what will be criteria for the post? etc....any expert advice on this?will they follow SC's order?
Thanks..
What are the implications/ramifications for the EIA consultant organisations and NABET's accreditation process?