SC order on retrospective environmental nod step forward but gaps remain: Experts

POLICY experts on Saturday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision barring the government from granting retrospective environmental clearances but warned that loopholes in environmental laws still exist, and citizens must stay alert to protect their constitutional rights.

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In a landmark ruling on Friday, the apex court said the government cannot grant retrospective environmental clearances in the future.

The court made it clear that projects started without mandatory prior environmental clearance cannot be legalised later. It added that violators who knowingly ignored the law cannot be protected.