The recent notification of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on exemption of construction projects up to an area of 1,50,000 square metres from prior environmental clearance has hit a major roadblock. The NGT on Thursday came down heavily against the Ministry in this regard, saying it is a legal blunder over which it had not applied its mind. The Green Court restrained the Ministry from granting any fresh permission under the new
regulation.
The bench, headed by NGT Chairperson, Swatanter Kumar ordered that until further order the notification will not be implemented. “If you grant even one clearance under the new notification we will stay the notification,” said the bench.
The notification states that for smaller projects less than 20,000 sq metres, there is a “self-declaration” clause, which will ensure issuance of permission from urban local bodies. In case of larger projects of more than 20,000 square metres, the Environment Clearance and building permission will be given by urban local bodies simultaneously in an integrated format.
The NGT Chairperson said, “Why don’t you (MoEF) do something constructive for the systemIJ There is a way of doing things. We don’t understand why do you do these funny things....IJ”