SC orders NGT to decide on Nayara’s expansion afresh

Ahmedabad: The Supreme Court has quashed an order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) by which it endorsed the environmental clearance for the expansion of Nayara Energy Ltd’s refinery capacity from 20 MMTPA to 46 MMTPA at Vadinar, with the strong observation that NGT cannot absolve itself from its duty to adjudicate environmental issues.

After quashing the NGT order, the apex court ordered the tribunal to decide the appeal afresh on the challenge to the environment clearance accorded in January. The appeal before the SC was filed by one Zuber Sanghar, through advocate Purvish Malkan, questioning NGT’s June 7 order by which it upheld the environment clearance and decided to assign the task of scrutiny to an expert committee.