Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986

The case concerns the continued pollution of the Palar River in Vellore District by tannery effluents and the adequacy of compensation awarded by the Loss of Ecology Authority (LoEA). The appellants, the Vellore District Environment Monitoring Committee, challenged the Madras High Court's dismissal of writ petitions th…

The Union Government approved a greenfield international airport at Mopa, Goa, and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) granted environmental clearance (EC) under the 2006 notification after the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) recommended it. Petitioners Hanuman Laxman Aroskar and the Federation of Rainbow W…

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…

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 appellants, Pahwa Plastics Pvt. Ltd. and related firms, are MSME manufacturers of formaldehyde that obtained Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board but did not secure prior environmental clearance (EC) as required by the 2006 EIA Notification. The Haryana governme…

The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) directed CCL Products (India) Ltd. to furnish three bank guarantees to secure compliance with environmental directions issued under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. After inspecting the plant and finding violations, the Board invoked the guara…

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) sought permission to install hot‑mix plants within the vicinity of Indira Gandhi International Airport to resurface its runways, arguing that the work is of national importance and that distant plants would compromise the quality of the mix and airport security. Environmental group…

The Supreme Court examined a notification that exempted the extraction of ordinary earth for linear projects such as roads and pipelines from the requirement of prior environmental clearance. The petitioners argued that this blanket exemption was arbitrary, violated Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, and was issue…

The Indian Council for Enviro‑Legal Action filed a public‑interest writ under Article 32 seeking enforcement of the 19 February 1991 Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification and challenging the validity of the 18 August 1994 amendment Notification. The petition alleged widespread non‑implementation of the 1991 Notifi…

The Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) sought an environmental clearance (EC) for its Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project, which was later quashed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on the ground that the primary data used in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report was over three years old and the Terms of…

The petitioners challenged the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's 2017 Notification and the 2021 Office Memorandum, which sought to grant ex post facto environmental clearances for projects that had commenced without prior clearance under the 2006 EIA Notification. The Court examined whether such retr…

The appellants, owners of an 8,983 sq.m. plot in Mumbai, sought permission to develop a luxury hotel with additional floor space index (FSI) under Rule 10(2) of the Development Control Rules, 1967. The land fell within Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) II as per the 19 February 1991 notification issued under the Environmen…

The petitioners sought to overturn a Permanent Lok Adalat order directing the closure of a slaughterhouse in Tonk, alleging the Adalat lacked jurisdiction. The Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) later issued directions under Section 33A of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, after ins…

The appellants, a group of agriculturists and a nearby school, challenged a Change of Land Use (CLU) dated 13‑12‑2021 that permitted a cement‑related grinding unit on land classified as a rural agricultural zone in the Sangrur Master Plan. The High Court had upheld the CLU, relying on a subsequent approval recorded on …

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 appellants, residents of Bhandara, manufacture brass utensils in their homes. The Superintendent of Police issued notices ordering them to cease operations, alleging that the mechanical processes generated noise pollution that disturbed nearby residents, teachers, and students. The High Court dismissed the appellan…

The appellant, owner of land in the Mount Abu Eco‑sensitive Zone (ESZ), challenged the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) order directing the State of Rajasthan to modify its Zonal Master Plan 2030 (ZMP 2030) to prohibit construction on his parcel. The NGT had relied on an Expert Committee report that deemed the land unsu…

The Goa Foundation challenged the permission granted to Diksha Holdings for constructing a beach‑resort hotel on a plot in Nagorcem, Goa, alleging that the land fell within Coastal Regulation Zone‑I (CRZ‑I) where construction is prohibited and that the clearance violated the Environment Protection Act, 1986. The High C…

The original applicant, Goel Ganga Developers, alleged that the project proponent had constructed beyond the limits of the Environmental Clearance (EC) and municipal regulations, prompting the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to order payment of environmental compensation. The proponent filed a review application which wa…

The Kerala State Coastal Management Authority (KCZMA) challenged DLF Universal Ltd's multi‑storey residential project on the banks of Chilavannurkayal, alleging violations of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification and lack of prior CRZ clearance. The Kerala High Court initially ordered demolition, but a Divisio…

The Supreme Court considered several interim applications challenging the suspension of licences for the sale of fireworks in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) that had been ordered to curb air pollution during Diwali. Petitioners sought a restoration of the complete suspension, while manufacturers and licenc…

The Supreme Court examined the validity of notifications issued under Sections 2(2) and 3A of the National Highways Act, 1956 that declared a green‑field stretch (C‑K‑S) as National Highways NH‑179A and NH‑179B and authorised land acquisition for the Chennai‑Krishnagiri‑Salem corridor. The Court held that Parliament, u…

The Supreme Court examined Lafarge Umiam Mining Pvt. Ltd.'s limestone mining project in East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, where the company had obtained environmental clearance in 2001 based on a certificate stating the land was not forest. Subsequent inspections by forest officials in 2006‑2007 identified forest cover, lea…

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…

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…