UPSC Articles
Failure to set up Independent Environment Regulator
Part of: GS Prelims and GS – III – Environment
In news
- The Supreme Court has asked the government to explain why it had not set up an “independent environment regulator” to oversee green clearances.
Key takeaways
- In ‘Lafarge mining case’, the SC had ordered the setting up of a national environment regulatory body to ensure independent oversight of green clearances.
- Such a regulator should appraise projects, enforce environmental conditions for approvals and to impose penalties on polluters.
- SC had made it clear that till such mechanism was put in place, the Environment Ministry (MoEF) should prepare a panel of accredited institutions from which alone the project proponent should obtain the Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on the Terms of Reference to be formulated by the MoEF.
