In Brief
The Supreme Court upheld the National Green Tribunal's decision to restrict construction on land owned by the appellant in Mount Abu's Eco-sensitive Zone. The NGT's Expert Committee recommended against construction after finding the site was wildlife habitat (where sloth bear footprints were observed), had fragile slopes prone to erosion, and development would disturb the ecosystem. The Court held the NGT has clear jurisdiction to assess land use plans against environmental protection standards. Although other sites were cleared for development, those had materially different geological and ecological conditions. The Court applied the precautionary principle, which permits environmental protection even without complete scientific certainty, and upheld the Eco-sensitive Zone Notification as binding on all authorities.
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