Green tribunal directs Environment Ministry to revisit clearance for Gurugram housing project

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Saturday directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to take a fresh decision on the environmental clearance (EC) granted for a group housing projects at Sukhrali villahe, Sector 28, Gurugram, Haryana.

The directive came during the hearing of execution application in appeal filed by the Amaltash Residential Welfare Association.

The association had approached the Tribunal seeking implementation of its earlier order dated May 31, 2021, which had called for a review of the project’s environmental impact.

The Bench, comprising Justice Prakash Shrivastava (Chairperson) and Dr A Senthil Vel (Expert Member), observed that despite repeated directions, the 2021 order had not been fully complied with.

The earlier order had required a three-member expert committee, including representatives from the MoEF&CC, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Haryana, to examine the project’s environmental aspects and report to the SEIAA.

The Tribunal was informed that the committee had submitted two reports on February 11 and February 18, 2025.

However, as the term of SEIAA, Haryana, expired on February 20, the authority was unable to act on the reports.

Taking note of the delay of more than four years since its 2021 directive, the Tribunal instructed that if SEIAA, Haryana, was not currently constituted, the MoEF&CC must itself revisit the environmental clearance and issue appropriate orders, whether to grant, refuse, or impose additional conditions, in line with the Tribunal’s earlier order.

The MoEF&CC has been given eight weeks to complete this process. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for January 30, 2026.