NITI Aayog study to track “Economic Impact of Green Verdicts”

What is the News?

NITI Aayog has commissioned a study to examine the unintended economic consequences of judicial decisions that have hindered and stalled projects on environmental grounds.

About the study

• Responsible body: The study is to be undertaken by Jaipur-headquartered CUTS (Consumer Unity and Trust Society) Centre for Competition, Investment, and Economic Regulation. It also has an international presence.

What is the purpose of this study?

• The judgments of the different courts negatively impact major infrastructure projects. These decisions don’t adequately consider their economic fallout — in terms of loss of jobs and revenue.
• Hence, this study aims to sensitize the judiciary on the economic impact of their decisions. The findings will also be used as a training input for judges of commercial courts, NGT, HCs, SCs.

What will the study examine?

• The study will examine five major projects that are impacted by judicial decisions of the Supreme Court or the National Green Tribunal.
• For that, It will interview people who have been affected by the closure of the projects, environmental campaigners, experts, and assessing the business impact of the closure.
• The five projects to be analyzed include:
  1. Stay on the construction of an airport in Mopa, Goa;
  2. Ending of iron ore mining in Goa.
  3. Shutting down of the Sterlite copper plant in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.
  4. Suspension of sand mining operations in Uttar Pradesh
  5. Stopping of construction activities in the National Capital Region.

Source: The Hindu