In Brief
Talli Gram Panchayat challenged an environmental clearance (EC) for mining granted by the Ministry of Environment to Ultratech Cement on 5 January 2017. The Panchayat filed an appeal before the National Green Tribunal beyond the statutory 30-day window. The Supreme Court held that the limitation period under Section 16(h) of the NGT Act commences from the earliest date on which any duty-bearer (MoEF&CC, project proponent, or Pollution Control Board) validly communicates the EC to the public—here, 5 January 2017 when MoEF&CC uploaded it online. The Court rejected the requirement to publish the entire EC in newspapers; partial publication listing the grant and key conditions suffices. As the appeal was filed on 19 April 2017, it exceeded the 90-day condonable period and was rightly dismissed.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.