Why NGT called this Chhattisgarh coal mine ‘nationally important’ amid global wars

The comparative hardships have to be balanced and convenience and benefits to a larger section of the people has to get priority over comparatively lesser hardship, said the NGT. (Image enhanced using AI)

Energy security vs sustainability

• No development is possible without some adverse effect on the ecology and environment, and the projects of public utility cannot be abandoned and it is necessary to adjust the interest of the people as well as the necessity to maintain the environment.
• A balance has to be struck between the two interests.
• Where the commercial venture or enterprise would bring in results which are far from more useful for the people at large, the difficulty of a small number of people has to be addressed by taking up mitigation measures in the larger interest of the nation.

• The comparative hardships have to be balanced and convenience and benefits to a larger section of the people has to get priority over comparatively lesser hardship.
• This indicates that while applying the concept of sustainable development one has to keep in mind the principle of proportionality based on the concept of balance.
• It is an exercise in which we have to balance the priority of development on one hand and environmental protection on the other hand.

‘Systemic’ dependence on fossil fuels

• For over three decades, every major global energy shock, from the 2003 Gulf War to the 2008 oil price spike and now renewed crisis in the Middle East which disrupting around 20 per cent of global energy supply has exposed the same structural weakness in India’s economy, a deep and persistent dependence on imported fossil fuels and resulting vulnerability from price volatility.
• Each time global supply tightens, the consequences ripple through India’s economy, widening trade deficits, raising inflation, and forcing fiscal interventions.
• But beyond these macroeconomic pressures, a more fundamental issue remains unresolved: India’s energy system is still structurally tied to fuels that it does not control.

• This dependence is not episodic; it’s systemic. Fossil fuels constitute around 75 per cent of India’s primary energy need and import plays a significant part of it.
• India imports roughly 85-90 per cent of its crude oil, around 45-50 per cent  of its fossil gas, and a significant share of its coal needs, particularly higher-grade fuels. The recent Increased focus on coal amid oil and gas shortages should be understood in this context.
• It is not simply a short-term operational decision. It is a reflection of a deeper strategic dilemma, one in which fossil fuels continue to dominate, even as their risks become more visible

Global energy crisis driving domestic push

• The tribunal’s decision comes against the backdrop of an ongoing global energy crisis.
• The Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fourth year, has disrupted traditional fuel supply chains, while escalating tensions in the Middle East have threatened key oil transit routes, impacting nearly 20 per cent of global energy flows.
• “Amid the Middle East crisis, India is pushing renewable energy by accelerating wind and battery clearances because gas supply has become volatile, but at the same time planning to use emergency clause to run imported-coal plant at full capacity,” the NGT outlined.

• For India, which imports a majority of its oil and gas, these shocks have translated into rising costs and supply vulnerabilities. As a result, policymakers have increasingly turned to domestic coal production to ensure uninterrupted power supply.
• The Gare Palma project is part of this broader strategy to reduce dependence on volatile global markets and stabilise energy availability.

What case was about

• The NGT was hearing an appeal filed by local residents challenging the environmental clearance granted on August 13, 2024, to the coal mining project.
• The appellants argued that the clearance violated an earlier NGT judgment dated January 15, 2024, which had quashed a previous approval and directed authorities to conduct fresh public consultation and reassess environmental impacts.
• They contended that the fresh clearance was granted without adequately addressing key concerns, including hydrological studies, health impacts, and cumulative environmental load.

Tribunal’s key findings

• After examining extensive material, including fresh studies and expert reports, the NGT bench found that the project had undergone detailed reappraisal.
• The tribunal noted that additional studies by reputed institutions such as IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and CSIR-CIMFR had addressed earlier deficiencies, particularly regarding groundwater impact, flood modelling, and health risks.
• It also took into account carrying capacity studies and updated environmental baseline data, concluding that the concerns flagged in its earlier judgment had been sufficiently dealt with.

Environmental, health concerns

• During the appraisal process, several environmental and public health concerns were examined in detail.
• Studies highlighted risks such as air pollution, water contamination, and occupational hazards, including respiratory illnesses due to dust exposure. Recommendations included dust suppression systems, greenbelt development, regular health monitoring, and improved water management practices.

• The NGT noted that mitigation measures, including maintaining buffer zones around water bodies and implementing advanced mining technologies, had been incorporated into the project design.

Public consultation debate

• One of the central issues in the case was whether a fresh public hearing was required.
• While the appellants argued that the absence of a new consultation violated legal requirements, the project proponents maintained that procedural requirements had been followed and additional inputs were considered during reappraisal.
• The NGT ultimately accepted the appraisal process, including inputs from pollution control authorities and expert committees, as compliant with regulatory norms.

Renewable energy

• Renewable energy is not the source of India’s vulnerability, fossil fuel dependence is. India’s renewable energy potential far exceeds its current and projected electricity demand.
• Estimates suggest over 3 TW of solar and 1 TW of wind energy potential, compared to current peak demand of around 250 GW.
• At the same time, the economics have shifted decisively. Utility-scale solar tariffs in India have fallen to around INR 2- 3/kWh (USD 0.3/kWh), one of the lowest globally, making new renewable generation cheaper than new coal and gas plants in many cases.
• While challenges related to storage and grid integration remain, India is already managing significant variable renewable energy with around 30 per cent of total installed capacity and also scaling both transmission infrastructure and battery storage, demonstrating that these are manageable system planning issues rather than structural barriers.

Rs 739 crore Ganga bridge project: NGT slams NHAI for violations, slaps Rs 10 lakh fine on contractor

On April 22, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has flagged serious procedural lapses in the construction of a “major bridge” across the Ganga in Prayagraj costing Rs 739 crore, holding that statutory safeguards for protecting the river’s floodplain were bypassed and must be strictly enforced going forward.  It also directed the UP pollution body to recover environmental compensation of Rs 10 lakh from the contractor private firm.

A bench comprising Justice Prakash Shrivastava (chairperson) and Dr Afroz Ahmad (expert member) was hearing a plea alleging illegal construction of a Ganga bridge and operation of concrete batching plants on the river’s floodplain without mandatory environmental permissions, in violation of the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016.

“The District Ganga Committees are also required to be vigilant and keep a watch over any construction which starts in the flood plain, bank or mid-stream of river Ganga or its tributaries in violation of the River Ganga Rejuvenation Order, 2016,” the NGT said.

The committees must take immediate action against such construction to ensure that the provisions of the River Ganga Rejuvenation Order, 2016 are not violated and river Ganga and its tributaries are effectively protected and the object of issuing the River Ganga Rejuvenation Order is achieved, the NGT added.