Taking the cue from the suggestions made by the environment ministry to strengthen the clearance process, the apex court backed the creation of an independent arm that would give its approval and also pro-actively monitor implementation of project's clearance conditions.
As reported by TOI earlier, the environment ministry has already moved the bill to create such an authority for inter-ministerial discussions.
The court also backed the ministry on its steps taken to integrate the two clearances it grants - forestry and environmental. It has stipulated that for mining projects and others beyond a certain size, the project developers would have to get clear proof to ensure that the land involved is not a forest land. In case it is, the ministry would not grant environmental clearance till the forestry clearance has been secured. Read the full report here.
Source: Times News Network, New Delhi.
