Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981

The Supreme Court entertained a public‑interest writ petition filed by environmental activist M.C. Mehta alleging that emissions from coke/coal‑using industries in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) were causing severe atmospheric pollution and damaging the Taj Mahal. Expert reports (NEERI, Varadharajan Committee) establishe…

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) auctioned a 14.3‑hectare parcel of land for residential development on an "as is where is" basis, and Kenneth Builders & Developers Ltd. (the builder) paid the full bid amount and obtained possession. The development agreement required the builder to secure all statutory clearances…

The Supreme Court examined a series of appeals challenging the grant of an industrial licence to Al‑Kabeer Exports Ltd. for a mechanised slaughter‑house in Medak district, Andhra Pradesh. The petitioners argued that the licence violated location prohibitions, environmental standards, the Andhra Pradesh Prohibition of C…

Vedanta Limited operates a copper smelter at the SIPCOT industrial complex in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and the State Government ordered its closure for repeated violations of environmental norms, including operating without consent, improper hazardous waste management, and dumping…

The State of Madhya Pradesh appealed against two orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that directed the State to prohibit fuel dealers from supplying petrol to any motor vehicle that did not display a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate and to deposit Rs 25 crore as security for compliance. The respo…

The Supreme Court entertained a public‑interest writ under Article 32 filed by the Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum alleging that tanneries in five districts of Tamil Nadu were discharging untreated effluents, contaminating surface and groundwater, rendering 35,000 hectares of agricultural land unfit for cultivation and …

The Supreme Court, hearing M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, examined the failure of the Delhi government and private bus operators to meet its earlier order (28 July 1998) that the entire city bus fleet be converted to CNG by 31 March 2001 and that no bus older than eight years operate on diesel after 1 April 2000. Applic…

The Supreme Court examined the controversy surrounding the establishment of a mechanised slaughter house (Alkabeer Abattoir) at Rudraram, Medak district, Andhra Pradesh. The petitioner organisations challenged the various permissions granted to the company, arguing that the slaughter house would deplete cattle wealth a…

The petitioners, three infants represented by their fathers, sought a ban on firecrackers and related explosives in Delhi/NCR, alleging severe health hazards from air pollution, especially during Diwali. The Court examined the constitutional balance between the right to health (Art.21) and the commercial (Art.19(1)(g))…

The appellant, D. Swamy, challenged the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board's (KSPCB) consent to operate a Common Bio‑Medical Waste Treatment Facility (CBMWTF) on the ground that the facility lacked prior environmental clearance (EC) under the 2006 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification as amended. The …

The Supreme Court examined an appeal against an order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that directed State Governments to reconsider the appointments of chairpersons and members of State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and to lay down guidelines for such appointments. The Court held that under the National Green T…

The appellants, owners of hotels and beach resorts in Goa, challenged demolition orders based on a series of government "guidelines" that prohibited construction within 500 metres of the high tide line. The Supreme Court examined whether these guidelines, issued between 1981 and 1986, qualified as law enforceable under…

The Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and the National Highways Authority sought to overturn a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order that set aside environmental clearances (EC) granted for sand and gravel mining for a highway project. The Supreme Court examined whether an EC could be validly issued when the District Su…

Boddu Narayanamma, the landlady, sought eviction of Sri Venkatarama Aluminium Co. and its partners who occupied a building in Rajahmundry under a composite lease containing both residential and non‑residential portions. The Rent Controller dismissed the petition, holding the landlord's requirement was not bona fide and…

The petitioners sought a blanket prohibition on the installation of overhead transmission lines for solar power across roughly 99,000 square kilometres in Rajasthan and Gujarat, arguing that such lines threaten the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB). The Supreme Court had earlier ordered the conversion of…

The petitioners filed a writ under Article 32 seeking the closure of Shriram Foods & Fertilizers' hazardous units. During the proceedings oleum gas escaped, prompting the Delhi Legal Aid Board and Delhi Bar Association to file applications for compensation on behalf of victims. The Court examined the scope of Article 3…

Dr. Balram Singh filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking the full implementation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 and the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993. The Court examined whether the statutes requi…

The appellant, a resident of a building in Hauz Khas, challenged the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s issuance of a Regularisation Certificate that allowed the owners of a pathological laboratory to operate on multiple floors of the residential building. The High Court dismissed the writ petition, holding it was a priv…

The State of Madhya Pradesh challenged the closure orders issued by a Sub‑Divisional Magistrate under Section 133 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.P.C.) against Kedia Leather and Liquor Ltd. for alleged water and air pollution. The High Court held that the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and …

The Supreme Court examined a long‑running environmental dispute in which chemical industries in Bichhri, Rajasthan had been ordered in 1996 to pay Rs.37.385 crore for remediation of toxic sludge and to have their plants closed. Despite the judgment, the respondents repeatedly filed interlocutory applications to avoid p…

The Supreme Court entertained a public‑interest writ filed by engineer Anil K. Mittal after a 13‑year‑old girl died because loudspeaker noise prevented her cries from being heard. The petition sought stringent enforcement of laws restricting loudspeakers, firecrackers, vehicular horns and other high‑volume sound system…

The Supreme Court examined whether the National Green Tribunal (NGT) could entertain direct appeals (leapfrog appeals) against original orders of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) under the Air and Water Acts, specifically the refusal to renew consent for Sterlite Industries' copper smelter. The Court held…

The Supreme Court examined a public‑interest writ petition filed by environmental activist M.C. Mehta on behalf of Delhi residents challenging two orders that prohibited Shriram Foods & Fertiliser Industries from operating its caustic‑chlorine plant in a densely populated area of Delhi. After a series of oleum‑gas leak…

The Union of India sought a direction that the minutes of the 40th meeting of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) dated 23 April 2019 be placed on record so that the Supreme Court's embargo on the environmental clearance (EC) for the Mopa greenfield airport could be lifted. The Court examined whether the EAC had adequ…

The appellants filed an application before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) seeking to quash a No‑Objection Certificate (NOC) and consent for a petrol pump at Khasra No. 109/1/2, alleging violations of environmental and municipal regulations. While the NGT dismissed the application, the appellants appealed to the Supr…

The case arose from a tragic landslide on a National Highway caused by over‑mining and hill‑cutting, which killed a woman and her daughter. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had ordered the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the miner to pay a joint penalty, compensation to the victims' heirs and to fund a…

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Chennai ordered the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to make it mandatory for all petroleum retail outlets to obtain Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO) before setting up or operating, in addition to directing the installation of vapour recovery systems (VR…

M.C. Mehta, an advocate and chairman of the Environmental Protection Cell, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking the closure of hazardous industries and regulation of vehicular and thermal power pollution in Delhi. The Supreme Court examined the constitutional mandate under Articles 48A and 51A, which impose a…

The Chhetriya Pardushan Mukti Sangharsh Samiti filed a letter alleging that an oil mill and a refinery in the Sarnath area were causing severe air and water pollution, leading to health hazards and ecological damage, and treated the letter as a writ petition under Article 32. The respondents, including the State of U.P…

The Supreme Court entertained a social‑action writ filed by the Indian Council for Enviro‑Legal Action on behalf of villagers of Bichhri, who suffered severe water, soil and health damage due to untreated effluents and toxic sludge from private chemical industries. The petition sought directions against the Union of In…

The Supreme Court, hearing a writ petition under Article 32, examined the severe air and water pollution in Delhi and the National Capital Region, identifying stubble burning, construction and demolition activities, open waste dumping, unpaved roads, garbage burning and traffic congestion as major contributors. It held…

The State of West Bengal appealed against a High Court order directing the execution of a mining lease for dolomite to M/s. Chiranjilal (Mineral) Industries (the respondent). The dispute centered on whether the respondent's 1998 application for a mining lease remained eligible under the Mines and Minerals (Development …

The Supreme Court heard an application for modification of its November 2016 interim order that had suspended all licences for the sale of fireworks in the National Capital Region (NCR) after severe air‑pollution following Diwali 2016. Petitioners – fireworks manufacturers and suppliers – argued that a total ban was di…

The Supreme Court revisited a writ petition filed under Article 32 concerning the Mis Span Motel's pollution of the Beas River. The Court affirmed that damages can be awarded for environmental restoration and for victims under the polluter‑pays principle, but held that a pollution fine cannot be imposed without a crimi…

George Elias & Associates, engaged in road works, purchased Hot Mix Plants and obtained an Acknowledgement Certificate under the Kerala Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Facilitation Act, 2019, as well as "Consent to Establish" from the Kerala State Pollution Control Board. Their application for a licence to in…

The Himachal Pradesh Bus Stand Management and Development Authority (HPBSM&DA) obtained a 99‑year lease on forest land that had been diverted for a parking space and a bus stand under Forest (Conservation) Act orders of 1997 and 2001. It then authorised a private contractor to construct a Bus Stand‑cum‑Parking Complex …

The Supreme Court examined the validity of the Himachal Pradesh government's refusal to approve several katha‑manufacturing units after the Industrial Projects Approval and Review Authority (IPARA) had given provisional approvals. The Court held that IPARA’s approvals were merely administrative recommendations and did …

Chemplast Sanmar Ltd. sought to set up a PVC plant in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, importing Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM) via a marine terminal and laying pipelines that cross the Uppanar river. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) granted environmental clearance under the 1991 Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notific…

The Orissa State (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Board prosecuted Orient Paper Mills for exceeding air‑pollutant standards after the mill, situated in an area declared an Air Pollution Control Area by Gazette notifications (1984, 1986, 1988), failed to obtain consent. The Board framed charges under Section 37(1) …

Electrosteel Steels Ltd. obtained environmental clearance (EC) and consent to establish a steel plant at a specified site in Bokaro, but later shifted the plant 5.3 km away, allegedly encroaching forest land. The Ministry of Environment and the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) revoked the EC, leading the…

The Supreme Court examined extensive illegal mining in the Aravalli Hills of Haryana, where numerous mines operated without environmental clearances, rehabilitation plans, or compliance with statutory reclamation requirements, causing severe groundwater depletion and ecological damage. The Court considered earlier orde…

The appellants, manufacturers of formaldehyde and its resins, operated units in Rajasthan and Haryana under Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO) granted by the respective State Pollution Control Boards (PCBs). The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered closure of these units for lacking prior Environm…

The Supreme Court examined the legality of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) amid public opposition, focusing on whether the plant complied with environmental, coastal‑zone, and safety regulations. It held that the project was undertaken under the national nuclear policy reflected in the Atomic Energy Act, 1…

The petition challenged the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s notification dated 29 January 2025 (S.O. 523(E)) and the accompanying Office Memorandum of 30 January 2025, which altered the regime of environmental clearance for building and construction projects under Entry 8(a) and 8(b) of the 2006 Sc…

Keystone Realtors Pvt. Ltd. undertook a residential redevelopment project in Mumbai. The project’s built‑up area grew from 8,720.32 sq m to 32,395.17 sq m, triggering the need for an Environmental Clearance (EC) under the 2006 EIA Notification, which was granted on 2 May 2013. The appellant later increased the area by …

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) appealed against a Delhi High Court decision that held it could not levy restitutionary or compensatory damages under s.33A of the Water Act and s.31A of the Air Act, on the ground that such powers amounted to penalties. The Supreme Court examined the statutory scheme, the p…

The Supreme Court examined a series of appeals arising from the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) orders that banned rat‑hole coal mining in Meghalaya, directed the State to deposit Rs 100 crore for environmental restoration, and held that all coal extracted after May 2016 vested in the State. The Court held that the NGT…

The Supreme Court examined a massive illegal mining scandal in Odisha involving 187 iron and manganese ore leases, many of which operated without environmental or forest clearances, exceeded mining plans, or violated statutory provisions. The Court rejected the lease‑holders' claim that the Justice M.B. Shah Commission…

Sterlite Industries obtained environmental clearance and consent orders to set up a copper smelter in Tuticorin in 1995. The Madras High Court ordered its closure, citing lack of a mandatory public hearing, violation of a 25‑km distance condition from an ecologically sensitive area, and an inadequate green‑belt require…

The Supreme Court entertained a contempt petition filed by environmental activist M.C. Mehta against Ashok Kumar Chhabra, who continued to operate a hot‑mix plant in Delhi despite the Court’s 1996 order directing closure of all hazardous (Ha) hot‑mix plants and subsequent orders allocating him an alternative site. The …

The Supreme Court examined whether the Andhra Pradesh Government could lawfully exempt a hazardous vegetable‑oil industry from a statutory 10‑km prohibition around the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs, which supply drinking water to Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The State had issued GO 153 granting the exemption …

The Supreme Court heard a public‑interest writ petition seeking the cancellation of a mining lease and a ban on mining within one kilometre of the 16th‑century Jambunatha Temple, a protected monument in Karnataka. The petition challenged mining activities that were alleged to have caused structural damage to the temple…

Three pharmaceutical units in Ankleshwar began operations without obtaining the prior environmental clearance (EC) mandated by the 1994 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification. The Ministry of Environment and Forests issued a 2002 circular allowing defaulting units to obtain an ex‑post‑facto EC, which the Na…

The appellants operated nine stone‑crushing units in Trisoolam Village, Tamil Nadu, and were served notices by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board for being within 500 metres of a residential area. The appellants contended that the permissible distance had been reduced to 300 metres and that all their units were bey…