Environmental Clearance Process
EIA Notification 2006 and CRZ Notification 2019
Large infrastructure projects in ecologically sensitive coastal areas, such as the Great Nicobar project, require clearance under two overlapping regulatory frameworks, both of which were at issue in the NGT's review.
- Under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, projects are categorised as Category A (requiring Union-level clearance through the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and its Expert Appraisal Committee) or Category B (state-level clearance); large port, airport, and township components of an infrastructure project of this scale fall under Category A
- The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2019 classifies coastal areas into CRZ-I (further split into CRZ-IA, ecologically sensitive areas, and CRZ-IB), CRZ-II, CRZ-III, and CRZ-IV
- CRZ-IA covers ecologically sensitive features such as mangroves, coral reefs, sand dunes, biologically active mudflats, and turtle nesting grounds; new construction is generally prohibited in CRZ-IA, with narrow exceptions such as eco-tourism facilities
- The NGT, while hearing a challenge to the project's environmental clearance, can direct that an expert committee review specific deficiencies in the underlying assessment, as occurred in this case
● Tracked since February 18, 2026 · last seen August 09, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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