Green court backs Centre’s authority over states’ on environmental matters

The green court issued a notice on a plea challenging the new environment ministry notification allowing the Centre to give approval before state-level environment impact assessments.

Decentralising environmental approvals “may result in irreversible environmental degradation by unchecked violations”, the National Green Tribunal said today.

The NGT has issued a notice on the plea challenging the new environment ministry notification allowing the Centre to give approvals before state-level environment impact assessments.

In its order, the green court has observed that “unless the Central government is satisfied that the functioning of the State Environment Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAAs) is upgraded to enable it to take up the requisite load, decentralization may result in irreversible environmental degradation by unchecked violations. Thus, even though decentralization of the environmental clearance process may not by itself be objectionable, adequacy of capacity for proper appraisal for grant of environmental clearance,” the Green tribunal said.

The plea which said that the notification violates the provisions of the Environment Protection Act will now be heard in September.

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