In Brief
The Supreme Court quashed a land-use change granted to a cement company near Sangrur, Punjab, for an industrial site zoned as rural agricultural. The Court held that once a Master Plan becomes operative, land use cannot be changed except by following statutory procedures—publication, public objections, and gazette notification. A later administrative approval cannot cure an unlawful permission granted without authority. The Court also found inadequate demonstrable compliance with siting safeguards protecting schools and habitations from industrial pollution. Additionally, the Court quashed the recent reclassification of cement grinding units from red to orange category, finding it diluted preventive environmental protections and violated constitutional rights to life and health.
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