Forest issues: SC directs Centre to appoint national regulator

A senior advocate associated with the matter said this order has a far-reaching impact and it would be difficult from now onwards to ease the tough EIA scrutiny of projects and to allow their early clearance.

While asking the MoEF to file its affidavit on the compliance of its order by March 31, the bench posted the matter for hearing on April 7.

The apex court's order came on a plea of MoEF seeking modification of the 2011 decision in which it had directed the central government to appoint a national regulator for “appraising projects, enforcing environmental conditions for approvals and to impose penalties on polluters”.  

Last year, the Centre had informed the court that there was no need for setting up of a green regulator to oversee matters related to environmental clearances and had pleaded for modification of its order for setting up such a body.  

The Centre, however, had said that an authority to monitor and facilitate implementation of the National Forest Policy, 1998 will be set up.