Industrial Units Cannot Operate Without Prior Environment Clearance, State Has No Power To Exempt Requirement Of Prior EC: NGT

The National Green Tribunal has on Thursday held that industrial units required to get an Environment Clearance under EIA notification cannot operate without prior EC, and the State has no power to either exempt the requirement of prior EC or to allow the units to function without EC on payment of compensation. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel made the observations while hearing an application filed by NGO Dastak seeking quashing of the order of State of Haryana dated 10th November 2020 allowing manufacturers of formaldehyde, that require prior Environmental Clearance (EC), to operate for six months without EC, subject to making application for EC within 60 days.