In Brief
The Supreme Court upheld the Expert Appraisal Committee's revisited environmental clearance for the Mopa greenfield airport in Goa. The Court found that the EAC adequately addressed prior judicial concerns regarding forest preservation, Ecologically Sensitive Areas in the Western Ghats, wildlife impact, and water management. While criticisms existed regarding the EAC's methodology, the Court held that judicial review must respect expert decision-making authority once procedural compliance is established. The suspension on the environmental clearance was lifted, subject to cumulative conditions imposed by the EC, NGT, and EAC, with oversight delegated to the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) at the project proponent's cost.
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