Supreme Court Mandates Cumulative Environment Clearance for Mega Projects

The Supreme Court of India delivered a landmark judgment mandating strict cumulative environmental impact assessments for infrastructure projects in ecologically sensitive zones. The bench ruled that dividing large projects into smaller segments to bypass stringent environmental clearance violates the Environment Protection Act. This verdict directly impacts ongoing highway and mining projects in the Aravalli and Western Ghats regions, reinforcing the constitutional mandate to protect the environment under Article 21.