Andhra Pradesh High Court Upholds NGT Order Keeping Mining Clearance in Abeyance

The Andhra Pradesh High Court upheld a National Green Tribunal order keeping a mining company’s environmental clearance in abeyance and stressed that natural resources must be preserved for future generations.

The Court said protecting forests and the environment is a duty of both the State and citizens, and polluting industries cannot operate unchecked.

It observed that environmental protection and sustainable development must be balanced and applied together.

The Court found no jurisdictional error in the NGT’s decision, holding that the tribunal rightly intervened due to procedural lapses and inadequate environmental assessment in granting clearance to the silica sand mining project.