Environment
Centre restarts post-facto green clearance case appraisals
The Indian Express··2 Oct
The Union Environment Ministry on September 30 directed expert appraisal committees and state authorities to resume processing pending post-facto environmental clearance proposals. No fresh proposals may be accepted. The step follows the Supreme Court's July 29, 2026 Vanashakti judgment. That ruling quashed the 2021 Office Memorandum, kept earlier grants valid, and ordered pending applications concluded under law.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Developers with post-facto files that were stuck, rejected or returned can see those cases move again.
- New applications under the old post-facto route will not be accepted.
- Projects already granted post-facto approvals remain valid under the July 29 ruling.
What's Happening
- Post-facto clearances cover work that began or expanded without prior approval required by law.
- The Centre first offered a 2017 amnesty window and later a 2021 standard operating procedure.
- Pollution control boards were also told to process the backlog.
What The Court Changed
- A May 2025 Supreme Court order had quashed the mechanism before a CREDAI review led to a fresh hearing.
- The July bench included Chief Justice Surya Kant, Joymala Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi.
- The court said prior clearance remains mandatory unless the law is amended.
all-news
