In Brief
In this case, the Supreme Court decided whether to lift a suspension on environmental clearance for a greenfield airport at Mopa, Goa. The Court had earlier found procedural flaws in the original clearance and directed the Expert Appraisal Committee to revisit its recommendations with specific regard to environmental concerns including forest preservation, ecologically sensitive areas, and wildlife impact. After the EAC reconsidered the matter and imposed 40 additional conditions alongside 53 original and 16 NGT-mandated conditions, the Court examined whether the process adequately addressed the concerns. Upholding the EAC's appraisal, the Court found no basis to fault the committee's domain expertise or find conflict of interest, and concluded the environmental impact assessment was comprehensive. The Court lifted the suspension on the environmental clearance.
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