In Brief
A greenfield international airport project at Mopa, Goa sought environmental clearance under the 2006 EIA Notification. The Supreme Court found that the project proponent failed to disclose critical environmental information in its initial Form 1, including that 54,676 trees would need to be felled and the presence of forests and ecologically sensitive zones within the study area. The Expert Appraisal Committee's approval lacked substantive reasoning and relied on extraneous factors. The National Green Tribunal failed to conduct a proper merits review. The Court held that procedural compliance with the EIA process is integral to environmental governance under the rule of law and cannot be sacrificed for developmental goals. The EC was suspended, and the EAC was directed to revisit its decision with proper expert analysis of specific environmental concerns.",
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