About:
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- It is a statutory body established under National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.
- It arose from India’s commitments at Rio de Janeiro Summit 1992.
- Authority over cases related to laws like the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, Forest (Conservation) Act, Environment (Protection) Act.
Composition:
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- Chairperson: Appointed from the Supreme Court or High Court.
- Judicial Members: Judges from the Supreme Court or High Courts.
- Expert Members: Professionals with expertise in environment and forest laws.
Benches:
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- Principal Bench: Located in New Delhi, for the Northern Zone.
- Regional Benches: In Bhopal, Pune, Chennai, and Kolkata.
- Circuit Benches: Temporary benches to ensure wider accessibility.
Guiding principles:
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- Natural justice: Ensuring fairness in proceedings.
- Sustainable development: Balancing environment and development needs.
- Precautionary principle and Polluter Pays principle for accountability.
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Landmark Judgments ü Ban on Open Burning of Waste (2012): Improving waste management and air quality. ü Save Mon Federation vs Union of India (2013): Protecting endangered species in Arunachal Pradesh. ü Coal Mining in Meghalaya (2014): Ban on environmentally harmful coal mining. ü Ganga Pollution Case (2017): Directed comprehensive cleaning measures for the Ganga River. |
Significance:
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- Facilitates specialized environmental adjudication, expediting case resolution.
- Ensures effective enforcement of environmental laws and remedies for environmental damage.
- Bridges the gap between the judiciary, executive, and the public in environmental matters.
Criticism:
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- Limited jurisdiction over key environmental acts like the Wildlife Protection Act.
- Varying timelines and ambiguity in certain legal terms.
- Judicial overreach concerns, particularly in matters overlapping with legislative functions.
