A Supreme Court Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde, on March 9, 2021 asked the government to explain why it had not set up an “independent environment regulator” to oversee green clearances.
- The apex court asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati to find out and report to the court.
- Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, while highlighting the lapse, said that the top court had ordered the setting up of a national environment regulatory body to ensure independent oversight of green clearances way back in July 2011 in Lafarge Umiam Mining Private Limited v. Union of India.
- The case is commonly known as the ‘Lafarge mining case’.
- In this case the Supreme Court had asked the Union Government to appoint a national regulator for appraising projects, enforcing environmental conditions for approvals and to impose penalties on polluters.
(Source: The Hindu)
