NGT quashes ECs for two limestone mining sites in Babarkot

26 Feb 2022 CW Team

In its order dated February 21, the special bench of NGT ruled that the project fell under category A and was beyond the purview of the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to award environment clearances. It further noticed that the said mines dropped under cluster mining and are the extensions to the current mining project which should have been reported by MoEF & CC (union ministry of environment, forest and climate change). They hold the project to be category 'A' as the mining area is integral and over 50ha. The conclusion of the Committee does not help the PP (Ultratech). It is observed that the total area is a cluster, the spirit of EIA (Environment Impact Assessment) needs that the influence of the entire activity is studied integrally, and the spirit of EIA notification needs such projects to be category A.

Further, it is the growth of existing projects which has to be appraised by MoEF&CC only and not by SEIAA, as has been done by way of impugned ECs, the bench said while stopping two ECs of Ultratech Cement Ltd and its subsidiary Narmada Cement. As per the case details, two appeals were filed in NGT challenging two ECs awarded by SEIAA for limestone mining by Bhagvan Solanki, president of Go Green Foundation.

The petitioner had claimed that the area of mines was over 50 hectares, so it comes under category A and cannot be provided EC by SEIAA. He further claimed that to overcome the legalities, the project was displayed as that of two separate mines.

Solanki also claimed that ECs have been awarded without following the due process of law in eco-sensitive areas. The petitioner contended before the NGT that ECs were awarded ignoring the influence of the project on the environment, wildlife, air pollution, water pollution, watercourse and the eco-sensitive area. Initially, SEIAA asked for additional data in January 2018, but thereafter, the project was sanctioned without the availability of the data, the petitioner claimed.

Image Source

In a significant delay to cement giant Ultratech Cement Ltd, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has stopped environment clearances (ECs) for its two limestone mining sites in Babarkot village of Jafrabad taluka in Amreli district. In its order dated February 21, the special bench of NGT ruled that the project fell under category A and was beyond the purview of the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to award environment clearances. It further noticed that the said mines dropped under cluster mining and are the extensions to the current mining project which should have been reported by MoEF & CC (union ministry of environment, forest and climate change). They hold the project to be category 'A' as the mining area is integral and over 50ha. The conclusion of the Committee does not help the PP (Ultratech). It is observed that the total area is a cluster, the spirit of EIA (Environment Impact Assessment) needs that the influence of the entire activity is studied integrally, and the spirit of EIA notification needs such projects to be category A. Further, it is the growth of existing projects which has to be appraised by MoEF&CC only and not by SEIAA, as has been done by way of impugned ECs, the bench said while stopping two ECs of Ultratech Cement Ltd and its subsidiary Narmada Cement. As per the case details, two appeals were filed in NGT challenging two ECs awarded by SEIAA for limestone mining by Bhagvan Solanki, president of Go Green Foundation. The petitioner had claimed that the area of mines was over 50 hectares, so it comes under category A and cannot be provided EC by SEIAA. He further claimed that to overcome the legalities, the project was displayed as that of two separate mines. Solanki also claimed that ECs have been awarded without following the due process of law in eco-sensitive areas. The petitioner contended before the NGT that ECs were awarded ignoring the influence of the project on the environment, wildlife, air pollution, water pollution, watercourse and the eco-sensitive area. Initially, SEIAA asked for additional data in January 2018, but thereafter, the project was sanctioned without the availability of the data, the petitioner claimed. Image Source

Infrastructure Urban

30 Jul 2026

Centre Clears Power Distribution Upgrade for Uttar Pradesh

The Central Government has approved power distribution projects worth Rs 407.39 billion for Uttar Pradesh under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS). The investment will be used to modernise the state's electricity distribution infrastructure and strengthen network capacity across urban and rural areas. The package targets one of the country's largest distribution networks as the state experiences rapid urbanisation and rising electricity consumption. Planned interventions include the strengthening of distribution lines, modernisation of substations, replacement of ageing electrical ..

Infrastructure Energy

30 Jul 2026

India Data Centres To Consume 191 TWh By 2040 Driving Renewables

A Wood Mackenzie report says India's operational data centre capacity is projected to increase more than fivefold to 12 gigawatt (GW) by 2030 from 2.2 GW in 2025 as artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing drive demand. It projects electricity consumption to rise from 10 terawatt-hour (TWh) in 2025 to 191 TWh by 2040. The study forecasts a compound annual growth rate of around 40 per cent and notes AI-dedicated capacity will surge nearly 24-fold from 275 megawatt (MW) in 2025 to 6,546 MW by 2030. The report places India's digital economy at Rs 32 trillion (tn) in 2025 and says it contr..

Infrastructure Transport

30 Jul 2026

Hydrogen Train Completes 1,200 Kilometres Of Trials

India's first hydrogen train was flagged off between Jind and Sonipat on July 17 and has travelled over 1,200 kilometres in trials, saving diesel consumption of more than 3,200 litres, a Railway Ministry press release said. The deployment marks the introduction of a zero-emission fuel cell train into route testing and represents a milestone in domestic rail innovation. The train generates electricity onboard through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, producing electricity to propel the vehicle while emitting only water vapour as a by-product. There is no smoke and no tailpipe car..